Unholy Confessions
by The Hornswoggler
Summary: What happens when a familiar redhead starts falling for the new student? Not sure, but Sayaka may have a few clues. KyoHomu!
1. How It All Started

**Hello er'ybody! This is my first fanfiction attempt, so I hope you enjoy it. A couple of important details I should mention for this fic are that in this universe, there's no magic. Kyoko is the narrator, the characters all attend Mitakihara High together, Homura is like Mai from Nichijou, if you know what I mean, and Kyoko's family is still intact as there are gonna be a lot of religious themes throughout since I felt there was no other good concept that would bring drama, or story in general, to this fic. Also, I wrote all of this on my phone, so I may look weird if you're reading on a computer.**

 **And with that, enjoy!**

Chapter 1: Ironic Revelation

It was an early Wednesday morning. The birds were chirping, the city of Mitakihara was waking up, and the time for school was approaching. I, Sakura Kyoko, was sleeping peacefully when my alarm went off. I had accidentally set it to fire alarm setting, so...

"Kyoko! Momo! Wake up, the alarm's going off!" My dad panicked immediately, and, of course, so did I. I grabbed a half-awake Momo, left my fuzzy slippers to die for in the non-existent fire, and gunned it. When we all settled outside in the cold morning sun, the knowledge that there was never a fire in our house slowly dawned on us.

Unfortunately, that little incident caused me to run late for school. It took me twenty minutes to chow down on my toast and kiss my mom and dad good riddance as I prepared for the day. The second time I high-tailed it out of my house that morning, I was finally dressed, had my bag, my lunch lunch, my school books and supplies, a black ribbon in my hair, and my fuzzy slippers, oh, MOTHERFU—

When I made it to school, Miss Heterosexual Failure made me stand in the hallway and 'Think over the error of my virgin ways' before returning to her rant about some guy that had left her in a motel one time. As I stood in the hallway, I got on my knees and said a morning prayer for Momo. She's been sick with a cold since Monday, so I've been taking care of her after school. It's not that I don't mind looking after her or anything, but I would like to resume my high school social career at some point.

In the midst of my prayer, Miss Heterosexual Failure opened the classroom door and allowed me to take my place as the rightful student of my wooden throne, also know as my desk. As I walked through the aisle of my fellow teenagers, I saw Sayaka and Madoka suppressing their laughs. I was really in for it after class.

When lunch rolled around, Sayaka was the first one to topple over, point, and laugh her butt off like the school girl she is. If it wasn't for Madoka holding me back, I would've ripped out every single strand of blue from Sayaka's pretty little head. Instead, she went on a long campaign of giggling that irritated the living crap out of me. At some point, however, she calmed herself down and we went on to eating our lunch like decent folk.

"So," Madoka began, "what did you guys think about the new student?"

"Oh yeah, she seems pretty cool, but she doesn't look very approachable." Sayaka replied.

"Why do you say that?"

"Just the vibe she was giving off. She looks like the kind of girl who would shoot down every guy that asks her out."

"But she seemed nice to me."

"I never said she didn't look nice, just a little cold is all."

"So who's this new chick you guys are talking about?" I asked with a mouth full of sandwich.

"You didn't see her?" Sayaka started. "She was sitting right behind you."

"Behind me...?" I tried thinking back to earlier when I first entered the classroom. I saw the bluenette and the pinkette giggling in the center aisle, then I saw my desk, and then...

"Nope! I was sleeping the entire time. Thought I'd relax after the morning I had." I said as I gnawed on my lunch.

The two girls just frowned at me. "Well, she sits behind you, and she exists," said Sayaka the Sarcastic.

"Well what does she look like? Is she like Shounen-style or what?" I asked.

"Mmm, she's got long black hair, cute red glasses, and a really monotoned expression."

"Seems pretty cool to me."

"Well I think she's gonna end up being the most shipped character from this series."

"What does that mean?"

"It means what it means, Kyoko!" Sayaka snapped. "The point is, I think she's the prideful silent type that probably thinks she's all that, so I'd stay clear of her."

Madoka almost looked offended at Sayaka's statement. "Well I think she'll turn out to be a really kind person!"

"I think if we become her friends she'll let me eat her lunch."

"Kyoko, you already eat mine and Madoka's."

"Yeah, I've even started bringing extra food just for you, Kyoko." Madoka pouted.

"Well you can never go wrong with more food."

Madoka chuckled while Sayaka rolled her eyes.

"By the way," Madoka added, "I've been meaning to ask, but why are you wearing bunny slippers?"

It was then that Sayaka started laughing uncontrollably again.

* * *

We all returned to class after the bell signaling the end of lunch rang. Upon entering the classroom and heading to my desk, I noticed the aforementioned new girl in the seat behind mine. I could tell from all the students walking away from her that she had just answered a barrage of questions, as is the fate of all transfer students. I would know since last year I moved away from my hometown, Kazamino.

I took note of her jet black locks. I wished my hair was naturally straight like that instead of being curly at the tips. It can be a real hassle in the mornings. Steadily I advanced to my desk and plopped down into the my chair. Deciding to introduce myself, I flipped around and caught the ravenette's attention. She looked at me with big unwavering black eyes without so much as flinching, and I respected that.

"You're new to Mitakihara, right?" I asked nonchalantly.

She just stared at me for a second or two before responding. "Yes. My name is Akemi Homura." She extended her hand.

"Sakura Kyoko," I reciprocated the gesture by giving her my hand, "but you can just call me Kyoko. I could care less about all the formalities."

Our hands retracted. "If you insist, Kyoko-san."

I gave her my best anime girl smile. "I'm sure you've already been asked this by everyone else in the class, but would you like to join me during lunch tomorrow? Me and my two friends always eat together on the roof, so you can get away from everyone else in the school there."

She continued to look me straight in the eyes. "Actually, no one has asked me that."

I raised an eyebrow at this. "Really? Then what was everyone asking you about before lunch ended?"

"They just asked simple things like 'What school did you transfer from' and 'Do you have a boyfriend.'"

"Yeah," I chuckled, "we aren't the best when it comes to first impressions, if you know what I mean?"

"You mean like how you arrived late with bunny slippers on and was scolded by an unbalanced teacher obsessed with her love life?"

She's got me there.

"It's wasn't my fault that it was set to fire alarm!" I barked.

"Um, fire alarm?"

"Never mind. So, how about it? Wanna join me and my two musketeers at lunch tomorrow?"

She broke eye contact for the first time and looked towards the ceiling, thinking to herself while making contemplative "Mmm" noises. Within the next few seconds she brought her eyes back down to meet mine again. "Sure, I see no problem in that."

I gave her a big toothy grin. "Sweet! I'll be sure to introduce you to my peeps later then. I'm sure you guys'll get along great."

She nodded right as the teacher picked up where the lesson had left off.

When the bell finally rang its ugly tone, I was practically skipping out the door just wanting to get home as quickly as humanly possible. Honestly, when it comes to school, I'm not exactly the best student. I often neglect my homework and sleep through lessons, yet thanks to Madoka and Sayaka I've been able to keep up via group study sessions. Of course Saya screws with me whenever I can't solve a hard equation, but it all pays off when she can't remember how to write a decent essay. That's where I got her beat.

On this day, however, I decided to separate from my two amigos and join up with the newbie while she walked home. Skipping over to her I called her name:

"Yo, Akemi-san! Wait for me!" She stopped as I made my way closer to her. "Hey, it ok if I walk home with you?" I asked like a real champion.

She kept up her cool demeanor despite my bluntness. "Sure, but call me Homura. It'd be weird if I was the only one using a first name."

"Ok then, Homura-san." I may have been mistaken, but I could've sworn she blushed when I said her name that first time. "So, which way do you live?"

She pointed towards the trees to the right. "I live over there in an apartment complex."

"Ooo, an apartment. Is it big, or is it big?"

"It's actually pretty small since it's only a one bed, one bath. I live alone so I picked the cheapest place I could find."

My eyes widened a little. Why would a new student be living alone in a city as big as Mitakihara? "So you live alone? Isn't that dangerous?"

"It's fine." Homura reached into her bag and revealed a tiny bottle. "Pepper spray makes quick work of weirdos."

I couldn't help but start laughing my butt off at that. "Yeah, that works too, I guess." Maybe this chick was pretty cool, just like Madoka and I had thought.

"Well what about you?" She asked.

I reached the conclusion of my giggles and blinked. "What about me?"

"Where do you live?"

"Oh yeah, I live near the church on the edge of town. It's nice, but getting to school in the mornings can be a pain."

"Who do you live with?" I couldn't tell if she was genuinely curious or simply trying to appease me due to her deadpan expression.

"I live with my old man, my mom, and my younger sister, Momo. Momo's been sick all week though, so I've had to go straight home and look after her everyday."

"I hope it's not anything serious."

"Nah, just a common cold she got from some kid in church. They just had to arm wrestle..."

Homura let out a tiny, tiny chuckle and I felt like I had achieved something almost great, even though that faint grin disappeared in a matter of seconds. Baby steps, Kyoko. Baby steps.

"Do you go to church often?" She asked after a second.

"Yeah, all the time. My dad's actually the preacher there, so that pretty much makes me a devout Christian in nature."

When it comes to my faith, I try to be as avid a believer as I can. Sometimes, though, I accidentally go overboard when talking about it, but I can't help it. It's been a huge part of my life since I was a kid, so naturally I want to spread the word. Though I do try my best to not shove it down people's throats.

"Really? By your first impressions I never would've guessed."

"Hee, hee, hee." I sarcastically laughed. "I may be rough around the edges, but I assure you I'm 100% Puritan!"

"Puritan?" Homura asked quizzically.

"Yep! Puritan! They were Christians that sailed to America and became famous for their big witch hunts, just like us."

"... I don't think I understand—"

"I'm breaking the fourth wall, just go with it."

We eventually reached a cross road and bid each other farewell. Before I continued my walk home, I looked back and watched Homura get further and further away from me. Not sure why, but I felt pretty good about her. Must be my killer good instincts.

* * *

I arrived at my house about ten minutes later. I opened the front door of our tiny home to see pops frantically straightening his tie while brushing his teeth. Momo just sat on the couch watching TV. Pop's eyes lit up when he saw me though, probably since I'm so amazing.

"Kyoko, I gotta leave now so take care of your sister. Bye!"

"Bye papa!" Me and a sick Momo said in unison as pops ran out the door.

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed an apple. Behind me, Momo gave a soft cough followed by, "Hey, Nee-chan. How was your day?"

Her voice still sounded a little coarse from her cold. Turning around, I noticed that the bags under her eyes were still there and that her short red hair was all ruffled up. Even so, it was an improvement, especially considering that she finally made it to the couch. I'm quite proud actually.

"My day was ok. We had this new chick named Homura, and she's pretty cool. How about you? Feeling any better?"

I took a seat next to Momo on the couch and chewed on my apple. She had diverted her attention from the TV to me. Before speaking, she rubbed some of the sleep out of her eyes as though to make herself more presentable for me. What a nice sis, right?

"Yeah!" She said, her voice still rough and scratchy. "I ate a bowl of cereal earlier and haven't thrown it up."

"The real question should be if you feel like throwing it up?"

"That's besides the point. I ate solid food and left my bed! I feel disgustingly invincible!"

Momo shot not hands into the air as those to emphasize her personal triumph. I simply laughed with her and pulled her into a loose hug. We sat there huddled together for the next ten minutes or so before it dawned on me that my sister is currently contagious. She looked a little sad when I gently pushed her away, and I felt kinda bad for doing it, but we both understood that it was a move of precaution.

Now let me take a minute to brag about my little sister. She no genius when it comes to academics, but she resides near the top of her class, unlike me. She'll probably be smarter than I am within the next year or so, which just proves her uncanny capacity for learning.

Not only that, she's turning out to be quite the looker, sharing the same hair color as me, just a lot shorter.

Instead of watching TV, I decided it'd be best to start on tonight's homework, much to my disliking. I grabbed my notes and crap from my bag and was about to start writing when my phone vibrated next to me. Before I could check, Momo looked over it and said to me, "It's Sayaka-nee. Wants to hang out."

Momo had taken to addressing Madoka and Sayaka with -nee at the end, something I think is adorable. Anyways, I was forced to decline Sayaka's invitation. I quickly sent a text reading: "Srwy watching Momo sum other time maybe." It didn't take even five seconds for a response that read: "Y not hang at ur place?" Now that's a thought...

Long story short, Sayaka and Madoka came over and we did our homework together. We talked a lot about that guy Kamiji (or whatever his name his) since Saya has this huge thing for him, whether she'll admit it or not. We started talking about the new girl, but then tragedy struck. Momo, after sitting silently for some time, ran into the bathroom and started blowing chunks into the toilet. She claimed that the food was worth it, just like her ol' sis would.

Needless to say, that was the end of our hangout session. Madoka and Sayaka packed up their belongings and went on their way, leaving me to tend to my sister. Thankfully enough, Momo fell asleep after about ten minutes, so that made my life a lot easier.

It was then that I started to think about the new girl. She had agreed to eat lunch with us tomorrow, so I had that to look forward to. I had considered asking for her phone number, but I figured that'd scare her away. Not sure why, but I have a decent feeling about her — that or it's the idea of eating we lunch. Both sound pretty good.

* * *

Now the power of narrative brings is to the following day! Me, Sayaka, Madoka, and new kid Homura sat on the roof of school, chowing down on our box lunches, as usual. Of course, I raided all three of their lunch boxes. Madoka even made me extra taiyaki. Freakin' score.

You may not find it surprising, but Homura was pretty quiet for most of the conversation. While we were talking our normal high school gossip, she sat idly by and observed. When Sayaka tried asking her a bunch of questions, however, things got better.

"And that's why camels make better horses than goats." I concluded. Whatever that discussion was about, it must've been amazing.

Sayaka sighed. "Fine, camels win. So, Akemi-san, what do you do for fun in your spare time?"

An awkward moment passed where Homura just stared at Sayaka for a few seconds before answering. "I read often."

"Oh yeah? What do you like to read? I for one love mystery novels."

Another odd silence. "I like to read books." I was the only one to laugh at her response. Sayaka looked downright dumbfounded, and Madoka didn't seem to understand the joke.

"No, Akemi-san. She meant what types of books do you read." Madoka could be pretty clueless sometimes.

"I enjoy," she continued, "fantasy."

Sayaka's eyes lit up. "Oh, fantasies are great! My favorite has to be Harry Potter. What about you?"

"Hmm, my favorite is... Puella Magi." Again, I began laughing. Everyone else seemed lost. "Get it? It's a fourth wall break."

"Yes, yes, we got that." Sayaka seemed at the end of her wits already.

I snickered. "I taught her that one. Ain't that right Homura-san?" She nodded, making me feel a little proud of myself. The bluenette on the other hand face palmed.

"Kyoko, do you take pride in corrupting the minds of other students?"

"Corruption? Why I would neva, eva do such a horrible thing!"

Madoka still looked confused. "I don't understand. What's a fourth wall break?"

I coughed into my fist to gain everyone else's attention. "Madoka, we'll tell you when you're older—"

"You make it sound like a bad thing!" Sayaka yelled, interrupting me. "See Madoka, it's when we acknowledge the presence of the audience, a technique normally used in comedies."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense."

I love our chats. They really bring the reader into the story... yeah, this isn't funny anymore. I apologize sincerely.

"Anyways," Bluebell started, "do you have any other hobbies, Akemi-san?"

She stared at her food in quiet contemplation. We all waited as she thought over her hobbies. The problem was, Homura... wasn't saying anything. The silence went on for another minute. I was tempted to say something – anything, but I really wasn't sure what to say. Before I could blurt out whatever random comment I had, Homura finally spoke up.

"I like guns."

Even if I was taken aback my this discovery, the faces on the other two girls' faces was enough force a lengthy guffaw from my being. Homura, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to the fact that her life and personality were absolutely bizarre compared to the average high schooler. I liked her more every minute.

"Was it something I said?"

Yes. Yes it was. Sayaka "coughed" in order to regain her composure. "Well, guns are pretty popular weapons," she sounded forced, "so it only makes sense that you may—"

"Sayaka," I said, cutting her off while still laughing, "just stop. You're not fooling anyone."

At first, she glared at me, but then threw her head down in defeat and sighed. "I know. Thought I'd try anyway."

Madoka looked like she was in shock, which further encouraged my laughing spree. Now my mouth and stomach were in pleasant yet agonizing pain, Sayaka had had her attempts shot down, Madoka was practically catatonic, and Homura was still emotionless and confused. Best dang lunch I've ever had.

The week went on in a similar manner. Homura would join us for lunch and I'd invite her to walk home with us. After about five days of her presence, the other two girls started to warm up to her, which was good cause I was really enjoying her lunch. And, of course, her joyous contributions to our sowing circle gossip never hurt, except Madoka's innocence.

As another week went by, I started to text her like I do with Sayaka and Madoka, though Homura's messages were normally short and to the point. Not that I minded, really. Once you grow accustomed to Homura's habits, you start to learn how to read her "expressions." All part of what makes her unique I guess.

It wasn't until another week that we began to include her in our afternoon homework circles. As expected, Homura was the smartest one among our group, so I naturally clung to her teachings, which are about as bad as Sayaka's, but at least with Homura I know the answer is correct.

It was also around this time I began to appreciate her being there. If anything, I was the sole outcast of my group, but with Homura I felt like someone else was as weird as I was. Good reassurance for someone feeling a little out of placement her environment.

It wasn't until our third week as friends that me and Homura actually hung out on our own time. On one particular day, Sayaka and Madoka stayed behind as school was letting out for student council. So it was just me and Homura, the same way it had been her first day here.

"Hey, Homura." We were past honorifics by now.

"Hmm?"

"Wanna head into town and grab something to eat?"

"More food?"

"Why not?"

"Hmm, ok then. Where?"

"How about this cool burger joint I know called Vagabonds?"

"Alright. Lead the way."

We arrived about five to ten minutes later and grabbed a small corner booth. I went all out and ordered the Dragon's Keep, a bloody as heck burger that I'd remember for years to come as the single most enticing thing I'd ever taste. Homura kept it small and simple and went with the Jester's Knapsack, which is just a boring ol' salad.

"Man, what do ya think a burger called the Dragon's Keep's gonna taste like? Dad never bought it for me cause he claimed it was too much, but today I'm gonna prove him wrong!"

"Probably spicy."

"I hope so! Spicy food is freakin' delicious!"

"You say that about everything you eat."

"Yeah, but some are more delicious than others. Curry for one is totally tastier than cereal, despite both being equally edible."

"I guess that makes sense."

"You know it does, Homes."

Like the nickname? I adopted it some time ago. It took Homura awhile, but she reluctantly accepted it after realizing that I'd call her it regardless of whether she liked it or not. In my eyes, if two people can speak to each other without the need of honorifics, then why not give each other a sick nickname like Sir Eats-A-Lot, as Sayaka calls me. She may think I resent being called that, but I secretly find it fitting for some reason.

"So, when do you think you can take me out to a shooting range?" I asked.

"Some other time. We need adult supervision in order to actually get into one."

"Yeah, that figures. Wonder what Saya and Madoka are doing right now."

"They said they were called in for a meeting, so it's probably something like paperwork."

"Tragic. They have no clue what they're missing out on."

"They aren't missing much, if you ask me."

"Aw, what! But they're totally missing this great bonding moment between you and me. Now that we're ordering food together, we're officially best friends!"

"Is that so?"

"Do you disagree?"

"I guess not."

"Exactly!"

Homes let out a small chuckle and tried hiding her mouth behind her hand. Lately I had subconsciously challenged myself to make her laugh more often. For some reason, I enjoyed seeing her smile. It makes her look even cuter than normal... did I just say that?

I caught myself staring and retreated my eyes to the table between us, my cheeks on fire. For a second there I had begun to think of Homura in a different way, a way that two girls should never, ever think.

The ravenette didn't seem to notice since she had giggled, but she did notice my cheeks turning red. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh, n-no, why?" I said flustered.

"Well your face is red."

"Oh, that. That's cause I wanted my face to match my hair," I lied terribly.

"Is that the truth?" Homura sounded unconvinced.

"Y-yeah, I'm perfectly fine. Don't worry." I gave a quick peace sign with my left index and middle finger.

Before Homura could press me any further, our food arrived. The Dragon's Keep, in my eyes, was the purest form of my dreams ever solidified in reality. In front of me was a triple-stacked burger with just about every condiment added for extra flavor. I told myself it was love at first sight.

I grabbed both sides of the Dragon's Keep and neared it towards my watering mouth. Right as the burger approached my mouth, however, I stopped and peered up at Homura, who was enjoying her salad. She seemed so relaxed, so peaceful... so beautiful... My heart stopped along with time as I soaked in the image displayed before me.

I was checking her out and I knew it. I looked at her long, pretty black hair flowing down her shoulder. I looked at how her glasses complimented her hair and made her seem even more mature than she already is. I noticed how she closed her eyes when eating her food, how she held her fork in a strange way, how she looked serene no matter what she was doing.

I noticed how much I wanted to just hug her.

I want to say I was delighted, but honestly, I denied everything I'd just thought to myself. I had been taught all my life that those types of thoughts were blasphemous, so the last thing I wanted to do was admit that they were genuine.

I immediately shut my eyes and chomped down on my burger. What welcomed me was an overflowing invasion of flavors and the afterimage of Homura in my mind. I thought I saw sparks.

When I opened my eyes I saw Homes staring at me, making my heart beat a lot faster. I could feel my face heating up again. I retreated back to my burger.

"Is it good?" She asked.

I couldn't look her in the eyes, so I kept "observing" my food. "Yeah, it's amazing."

"Your face is heating up again."

"Y-yeah, cause it's so spicy."

I refused to make eye contact with Homura for the rest of the day.

* * *

I laid in my bed that night sleepless. What were those feelings I got when I tried to look at Homura? Where did they come from? The idea that I was attracted to her had been rejected instantly. I was not about to betray my father's teachings for my own selfish, juvenile emotions.

But at the same time, I knew in the back of my mind that I genuinely believed these things about Homura. I had grown pretty close to her over the weeks and actually considered her my best friend at the time. Even if Madoka and Sayaka had been with me longer than Homura, I always felt at ease around her.

Maybe it's because I like her.

NO! Why would I even think that!? There's no way I like Homura in that way! Impossible! Inconceivable!

Yet, I do, don't I?

The picture of Homura eating her salad was etched into my brain by this point. I studied it over and over again in my head just wishing that I could see her in the flesh. The way she looked so mature with her fork between her fingers, and her eyes closed while her hair gently fell over her ear.

I glanced over to the twin bed next to mine to see a knocked-out Momo. She had gotten over her sickness awhile ago and was back to her normal, energetic self. Looking at her, I felt a tinge of guilt rush over me.

Why did this happen?

I concluded that I was merely entering a short phase in which I become curious about other girls. That was the only justifiable reason I could think of since I was all too stubborn to admit the truth. It'll all probably be over before I can even fall aslee—

Of course things didn't go that way. When I met up with Homes the next morning, I thought I was going to explode. Looking at her made me feel nervous and sweaty, as much as I hate to say it. Talking to her was difficult because I felt like I would choke on every word I uttered, and whenever she asked if I was ill, I'd have a silent heart attack and dart my eyes to the left.

In one instance, Homura leaned over her desk and placed her hand on my forehead. You can only imagine the thoughts that rushed through my mind as she did this. She was so close. I wanted to lean in closer, but I was frozen. Terrified. The object of my affection was right smack-dab in front of me, and I could only stare helplessly at her gorgeous features— stop it! You do not like Homura!

"Kyoko, you're burning up." She said, removing her hand from my face and pulling me back into reality.

I was somewhat disappointed when her hand left my forehead, but I ignored that and continued repressing my emotions. "Y-you sure? I feel perfectly f-fine." My voice was shaking uncontrollably.

"No, Kyoko, you look awful. We're going to the nurse's office right now."

"Ok, but I'll go by myself. I don't want you to miss class."

"Nonsense. What if something happens on your way to there?"

"I'll be ok, Homura. It's nothing that serious—"

"But what if it is?"

She looked legitimately worried about me, making guilt rise in my chest. I stood up and jumped up and down a few times, causing Homura to freak out a little. "See, Homes, it's probably just a cold. If I could do that and walk to school then I can make it to the nurse's office by myself, so don't worry."

She seemed to relax after that, but she still looked worried. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Trust me! You just take notes for me and I'll be back to normal before you know it!"

A small smile appeared on her face, making my blushes intensify. "Ok, just promise you won't sleep up there all day unless you really need to."

"Fine, I promise." And with that, I took a vacation to Nurse's Office, Mitakihara High. I laid down on a bed and tried breathing in order to steady my heart beat. I replayed the incident in my head over and over again. She had been so close to me, so close that I could've easily leaned into her and...

 _Ba_ - _dump_. _Ba_ - _dump_.

My thoughts were gradually expanding. I felt kinda blessed to have a friend like Homura that cared so deeply about my well-being, yet at the same time I felt cursed to have a friend who would go out of her way to help me. She concern had turned me into a nervous wreck, something I had never been until now.

As I laid on my cot, I began to dread the next time I'd have to confront Homura. Even if I shut myself in this office all day, she'd check on me in between classes, during lunch, and after school.

Miraculously, when the time came to confront her I didn't exhibit behavior similar to that morning, leaving everyone relieved. I was able to play it off as simple morning sickness, so Sayaka scolded me saying that was no excuse to chill in the nurse's pad for half of the day.

Homura didn't show it, but I could tell I had worried her when she offered me some additional taiyaki. She had started bringing food just for me the same way Madoka does not long ago. Man, she's so charitable... I mean— crap!

When I didn't erupt in nervousness after seeing Homura for the second time that day, I held onto the hope that this 'phase' was over and done with.

That was not the case, though.

The next day I caught myself checking her out from behind while walking home, and the day after that I even daydreamed about her in class, resulting in a thorough reprimanding by Ms. Still-Single-and-Ready-to-Mingle.

The three following days were no different. The doodles on my school work turned into figures faintly resembling Homura, my thoughts began to roam in forbidden territory, and I felt guilty whenever I used the term "phase." I had at some point accepted that this wasn't just some random juvenile curiosity in girls, but a legitimate crush.

This attraction to Homura made me feel mortified and disgusted with myself, yet at the same time it made me feel excited. I wanted her badly and I knew it.

Later on that night after Momo checked out for the day, I sat down on my legs and clasped my hands together. What followed was the first of many prayers for my family regarding this sudden change in my sexuality. The way I saw things, I had probably already ruined my relationship with God, so instead I prayed that he wouldn't punish my family for my selfishness, as much as I hated to word it like that.

I lied back down on my bed with a new sense of confidence. Even if I hadn't wanted to admit it to myself before, now I was fully aware of my suppressed desires. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to work towards making Homura mine, whether my family agrees or disagrees. But hey, who ever said they had to know about any of this.

Thus is the beginning of my story.

* * *

 **Hope you guys like it so far. Not very sure about writing fanfiction to be entirely honest. I'm basically basing the sentence and paragraph structures on other fics I've read.**

 **Also, if you guys really liked this, post some reviews. If I think enough people enjoyed it, I'll continue. If not, then, eh, I'll probably do it anyways, just at a much slower pace.**

 **Also, any suggestions you guys may have about the writing would be very much appreciated. I'm entirely open to any and all constructed criticisms and aim to improve my writing this way, so criticize to your heart's content!**

 **And before you guys say it, I am pro-homosexuality, but for the sake of the narrative, Kyoko is going to be a Christian that doesn't believe in it. How else would a day-to-day story of her normal life be interesting unless she has to wrestle with herself about her personal desires, which just so happen to be Homura. Kyohomu for life!**

 **And with that, I bid thee farewell until the next chapter, which, if this receives some significant attention, may be very soon. Peace!**


	2. The Closet Door is Unlocked

**Hello again everyone! Thanks for the nice reviews, really meant a lot to me! Each one filled me with DETERMINATION!... that's an** ** _Undertale_** **reference... Anyways, I figured that I should establish a nice handful of chapters for this fic early so that I can try to gain a following for it, that way if updates become slower I'll always feel obligated to keep posting until it's finished.**

 **Also in this chapter is a small guest appearance from a character we all know (and love?) in the form of a cameo, so enjoy!**

Chapter 2: The Closet Door Is Unlocked

I woke up that morning with an alien feeling in my chest. It almost feels natural, but it also feels like it doesn't belong. Oh, hold on.

It's _infatuation_.

Ha! I freakin' said it (in my head)! That was my first step. Last night I had thought up a bunch of steps for this new saga in my life, a bucket list of sorts. This was the first item on said list to be checked off. Next, however, was...

 _Telling someone_.

Who were my options? Definitely not my family or Homura, that's for sure. Though I'm not entirely sure if Momo understands the moral aspects of homosexuality, and even if she did, I'd rather not risk anything that may make my parents suspicious or ruin our relationship. That leaves Madoka, a likely candidate who has all the qualities of a listener, but would her innocent mind be able to handle this? Maybe.

Lastly there was Sayaka. She was the person I was leaning towards most just cause she'd be the one with the most open and knowledgable mind besides Madoka. Though if I end up asking her for help I'd feel really selfish. I know that Saya is the type of person who'd love to hear me out if it made me lighten up a bit, but then what about her romance troubles?

Here's a little history lesson for all of you's: once upon a time, in a middle school far down the road, little Sayaka Miki developed a huge crush on her childhood friend, Kamiji— no, Kamigo. Kamija? Kamihameha?... We'll just call him Limp Dick for namesake.

Ok, so young Sayaka falls madly in love with Limp Dick and he's absolutely oblivious to it, yet despite him being a clueless idiot, he happens to be a violin prodigy. To make things worse for her, her second childhood friend, Hitoji... Hitmoi... Hitmon-chan... her second childhood friend, Seaweed Head is also madly in love with Limp Dick, so now they're caught in a tug-of-war of affection. The catch, Limp Dick was in a terrible accident in which his hand was injured so badly that he can't currently play violin.

So now Sayaka is constantly trying to get him to notice her, which sucks since I think he likes Seaweed Head more, even after all the sweet things Saya has done for him since his hospitalization.

The gist is that I don't want to impose and seem all mellowdramatic when Sayaka has it much worse than me and never complains about it. In fact, she refuses to admit to us that she likes Limp Dick. Though, and this is just a thought, maybe opening up to her will open her up to me, that way we can both get a load off our chests.

It may just work.

So that day at school, I slipped a note into her bag. It read:

 _Yo Saya,_

 _Can we go meet up somewhere after school and talk? I have a confession I'd like you to hear out._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Kyoko the Great_

Now you may be wondering, why use a note when I could simply text her? Well the answer is because that's just how I roll! Imagine the effect that a physical note will have compared to a boring ol' text. Much more emphasis is added this way!

And now I wait... any second now... any _minute_ now... sometime today Saya—

"Alright class, today's lesson is..." Damnit, this is taking forever! Can't we just skip the context and get to the climax? I guess not.

Twenty minutes drag by as my mind erodes in thought. I try doodling on my paper but I lose interest fast. Then I have an idea. I turn my notepad to a blank page and begin writing. By the time I put my pencil down I'm staring at my "bucket list."

 _Kyoko's Bucket List of Romance_

 _1\. Acknowledge my feelings X_

 _2\. Confess to Saya_

 _3\. Get Saya to confess to me_

 _4\. Send secret letter to Homes_

 _5\. Spend extra time with her_

 _6\. Confess to her_

 _7\. Hold hands_

 _8\. Hug_

 _9._

I put a lot of thought into the steps, yet I hesitated to write down what I had in mind for number nine. It was the pinnacle of all romance stories, the final act that sealed the deal on a high school relationship. And so I wrote:

 _9\. Kiss_

I wrote it! Achievement unlocked: Kyoko's got spine! I was feeling kinda proud of myself for writing that until it hit me. I sent a note to Sayaka. Why!? I need to get that note before she reads it! I'm not ready! I can't do this!

I peer my eyes to the right and notice the folded piece of notebook paper on her desk.

Oh CRAP! Now she's expecting me to confess to her! Ohmygosh! What've I done!? Why is my heart beating so fast? Why is my hand shaking!? I shouldn't have rushed this, I should've paced myself! Now I'm gonna be forced to tell Saya everything!

Or maybe I can tell her _anything_.

That's it, I'll just make up some lie and everything will be ok! No problem.

So what do I tell her?

This question haunted me from first block to lunch, and by then it was too late. What would I tell Saya if she confronted me during lunch!? When me and Homura arrived at the roof for lunch, only Madoka was there.

"Hey Madoka, where's Saya?" I asked.

She looked up at me and smiled. "Hi Kyoko-chan. Hi Homura-chan. Sayaka-chan said she had to use the restroom, so she'll be here soon."

Alright, convenience has bought me more time to think. "Ok then, let's eat!" So we sat down, ate our lunches and talked the normal gibberish. The only difference was that Sayaka yet to show up. Then without thinking: "I'm gonna go find Sayaka. I'll be right back."

I stood up and started towards the door. Homura called behind me "Make sure she didn't fall in."

Madoka shuddered and put on a worried expression. "Don't say such horrible things, Homura-chan!"

"Sorry," she said back to Madoka, making me chuckle a little bit before entering the school building.

I made my way through the hallway and arrived at the girl's bathroom. Reaching for the door handle, my heart started hammering in my chest. By the time my hand was clutching it, I was too afraid to open it. Inside was Sayaka, the girl who was most likely avoiding me.

Using every ounce of courage I could muster, I pushed through the door. Upon entering I saw two girls washing their hands and one closed stall at the end of the room.

She must be inside that stall.

I trudged past the two girls at the sinks and stood in front of the stall. On the other side... on the other side was Sayaka. My hand was trembling as it neared the door. Without giving myself time to think, I knocked on the stall three times.

"Yes?" Said a voice from inside the stall.

"S-Sayaka, you ok in there?"

An awkward silence filled the air for a few seconds. Then, the person inside the stall spoke up: "Who's Sayaka?"

Eh? "Are you not Miki Sayaka?" I asked the mystery person.

"No, my name is Mami."

You've got to be kidding me. I stood in place for a few seconds, completely dumbfounded. "Oh, um, I-I'm sorry to have bothered you then." This was a waste of time. The two girls that were washing their hands now stared at me as I walked pat them for the second time. I said sarcastically to them "Guess I had the wrong address," then exited the restroom.

I returned to the roof and there was still no sign of the bluenette. I couldn't tell if my note had scared her off or if she legitimately had something else to tend to. Whatever the reason, it's making me anxious.

"Did you not find Sayaka-chan?" Madoka asked as I retook my seat next to her and Homura.

I grabbed the last of my taiyaki and plopped it into my mouth. "Nopp, she washn't in the reshtroom." I replied as I chewed on my food.

"Do you think she was called to do student council work?" Homura asked, holding a roll of sushi in between her chopsticks.

"That's probably it," Madoka said, a look of relief washing over her face, "and she's probably eating with them too."

"Makes sense." Homura said, holding out her chopsticks to offer me her sushi roll.

I smiled warmly at her. "Thanks Homes."

The sushi was delicious.

* * *

Sayaka was in her desk when we got back to class. I waited until school let out and proceeded to exit the main building, only Saya had disappeared from her desk before I could approach her. When I asked Madoka, she said 'Sayaka had to meet her family somewhere.' I sighed, feeling almost relieved that I didn't have to confess my feelings to her yet.

Homes, Madoka and I left school together. Madoka separated from us halfway through our walk, leaving the two of us alone together. I tried to think of something funny and witty to say. Something about politics maybe? Or possibly movies? Who am I kidding, Homura doesn't watch movies—

"Wanna come over to my place and work on tonight's homework?" Homura asked, cutting off my train of useless thought.

"Your place? U-uh sure, sounds good." It wouldn't be the first time I visited Homura's pad, but it'd be my first time since the "Infatuation Situation" (yes, that's what I named it) started last week. Even so, I can't say no. This is a chance to get closer to Homes that I cannot let slip away.

We arrived at her apartment moments later. She let me into her tiny one bed-one bath and motioned me towards the couch in the center of the living room. I sat down and started unloading my homework when Homura threw her bag off and walked towards her room. "I'm going to change out of my uniform. Be right back."

Homura disappeared behind her bedroom door, leaving me bewildered. Homura is undressing on the other side of that wall. All that's between me and her is thin, hard plaster, and on the other side she was...

My imagination kicked into third gear. I imagined her unbuttoning her shirt and slowly removing her skirt from her legs, exposing her underwear. I The thought made me feel ashamed of myself, honestly. In my mind her legs were long while her stomach lean and delectable. I felt my fang dig into my lip.

Before my fantasies have been innocent daydreams of the two of us doing mushy things you'd see in a romcom, but this was a new level of perversion. These thoughts were _taboo_. It had taken a lot of courage to start pursuing this forbidden desire, but to mentally undress my best friend made me feel dirty.

Yet I... I want to do _those_ kinds of things, don't I? Have I always been this perverted?

I think I'm gonna be sick.

That's when Homura came back into the living room wearing light brown short-shorts and a thin white top. I'd be lying if I said she didn't look sexy in it.

She walked past me and entered her kitchen area, took out a bag of pretzels from a cabinet, and came over and sat next to me on the couch. I started blushing when she offered me the bag. "Hungry?"

 _Hungry for you_ , I thought to myself as I took a handful of pretzels. Before I could toss one into my mouth, Homura placed her hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump. I looked up into her eyes and froze. Her pitch black irises drilled into my red ones. I was starting to feel dizzy.

She put on a serious expression and didn't break eye contact. "Kyoko, you've been acting strange lately. Is there anything you want to talk about?" Homura said, making me blush.

It took me a second to regain my footings. "W-what do you mean? I feel just fine and dandy."

"Not at all. You've been spacing out a lot and you haven't been as energetic lately. What's wrong?"

Holy crap am I that obvious!? And here I thought I was a decent actor. Now what do I say? I can't just tell her _well I got this big thing for you and daydream about you in your underwear_. I mean I could, but I'd rather not.

Homura's serious look dissipated into concern. "Did something happen at home?"

"No!" I yelled, accidentally startling Homura. I took a second to calm myself down. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, but there's nothing wrong at home."

She rubbed my shoulder with her hand, making my blush intensify. "Then what is it? I'll listen to whatever you have to say."

I wasn't kidding when I said she was my best friend. We bonded a lot over the weeks in school, and after some time we started hanging at each other's houses. Then the one time I invite her out to get some food, I enter the Infatuation Situation (the name shall stick). Where I started picking up on her various monotoned expressions she started reading my... whatever I have. Fangs? Sure lets go with that.

Anyways, I was terrified of the situation. Homes wasn't going to be bought off by some half-wit lie, and lying to her would only make things more complicated. So, I decided to put my foot down in the most polite and gentle manner possible:

"Homura, thanks for thinking about me, but I'm dealing with a personal issue right now." I mustered the most genuine smile of my life. "Everything is gonna be fine, don't worry about it."

She still looked concerned. "Are you sure it's nothing you can talk about?"

I placed my hand on top of the hand on my shoulder and moved it to the couch. Her fingers intertwined with mine. "Trust me. It's just hormonal teenage stuff. It'll pass with time."

I regretted saying those last few words immediately as they escaped my mouth, but they did their duty. Homura's worried look changed to a comforting smile. "Ok then. We should get started on our homework now." Her smile quickly faded and was replaced by her normal deadpan expression.

"Sounds good to me," I said, clicking lead out of the tip of my pencil. Even though the conversation had ended on a good note, I felt conflicted about my words ' _pass with time_.' Even though this is likely to happen in the future, I don't know if I want it to stop.

If I am to speak honestly, I feel _alive_. These emotions of affection and desire don't make me want to hurt myself or jump off a cliff like most teenage diaries would have you believe. I almost feel inspired. No, more like I'm seriously determined for the first time in my life.

Right now my only goal is to make the girl whose hand I'm holding my girlfriend... Wait a minute. I've been holding Homura's hand... Homura's small, tender hand, with her fingers wrapped around mine...

HALLELUJAH! MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HANUKKAH! HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEIL PATRICK HAR—

"K-Kyoko? You can let go of my hand now." If I wasn't blushing before, now I looked like I had a mustache made out of my hair, if that makes any sense. I instantly retreated my hand back to my person and shifted my focus back to the homework laid out before me.

"U-um, sorry about that. Forgot my hand was on your... hand." The highlight of my day was slowly reviving the awkward atmosphere that had just subsided.

Fortunately it didn't last long. Homura was quick to forget about it, so we finally started on our homework.

* * *

I got home at around 6:30 p.m. By then mom had already returned home from work and Momo had been picked up at church.

Let me explain: mom works normally from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Dad works most days of the week at the church. When school lets out, Momo and I are to walk home and wait for mom, but since the church is really close to our house I can go out with my friends after school and Momo can wait at the church with my dad for an hour until mom picks her up. When she was sick dad had to go to work later in the day so that he could take care of her until I got back from school at 3:10.

I took a seat next to Momo on the couch. She was licking a blue popsicle – her favorite snack – when she leaned her head on my shoulder like the adorable sister she is.

"Hey Nee-chan, how was your day?" she asked with the popsicle in her hand.

I wrapped my arm around her figure and started channel surfing on the TV with my left hand. "It was pretty cool. Me and Homes hung out and did some homework after school, so that was fun."

She chomped down on the top of her popsicle, causing her to shiver. "How is Homura-nee doing?"

"She's the same as always. You know, deadpan, monotoned, emotionless." I wish I had more adjectives to describe her one trademark expression, but I'm too lazy to check a thesaurus. "Anyways, how was your day, sis?"

She took her mouth off her popsicle. "It was ok, but..." so you guys may be wondering how me and Momo are related. Well, you're about to see a real resemblance in our personalities.

Momo sat straight up on the couch. "That dang Hiro-kun decided it'd be a real grand idea to plant tacks on the teacher's chair, so that BAKA ended up getting a good scolding by Mr. I'm-Too-Good-Looking-To-Care-Teacher!" She took another large bite of her popsicle and shivered. "And then Shiro-chon go' all pouthi abot that dumb ol' Tanaka-BAKA guy," she swallowed the flavored ice in her mouth, "during lunch! I swear she has the worst taste in men!..."

She went on for another five minutes, so I'll spare you the gory details. Even so I sat by idly, patted her head, and said the occasion 'mhm' and 'I hear ya sis.' Long story short, she had a pretty good day. Ironic right?

That's when mom came in from upstairs and repeated the question Momo had asked when I walked in. "Hi honey, how was your day?"

I decided it best to keep things short. "In a nutshell, pretty uneventful, but no complaints. Three stars."

"I see, glad to hear that Sweetie." She gave me a hug from behind and kissed my head. "Think you can help me get started on dinner?"

I knew she wanted something from me, but I obliged anyway. We started cooking the food while Momo volunteered to set the table.

By the time dad arrived from work at the church, the square table was already set with the curry I had chosen. I told you guys I liked spicy food, so when mom let me choose dinner I went with the hottest stuff we had.

Dad came in and threw his tie onto the kitchen counter and plopped down into a chair at the table. "Man I am starving. How about you two? I'm sure Kyoko is as hungry as I am."

I gave him a tiny kiss on the cheek as I proceeded to my seat next to him, mom and Momo doing the same. "You know I am, papa."

"Heh, that's what I thought," dad said as we all took our seats. Dad's right hand took ahold of mine and his left took ahold of mom's, who had seated herself on the other side of him. I used my free hand to take Momo's. "Shall we say grace?"

We all bowed our heads and closed our eyes as dad began the meal prayer. I ignored it. Not because I had lost faith, but because I said my own secret prayer in my head. It went something like this:

 _Dear God. You've probably already abandoned me for my sins, but that shouldn't mean my family should be punished for the path I've chosen to take. So if you would please look after them in my place, it'd be very much appreciated. Thanks_.

"Amen!" We all said in unison.

* * *

That night I texted Sayaka. I was going to make perfectly sure that tomorrow she wouldn't allude my grasp. She finally replied after about twenty minutes.

 _Sry i didnt 2day sumthing came up tmrw 4 sure_

Ok. Time for mental preparation. Tomorrow I was going to tell Sayaka everything. I was going to tell her about the Dragon's Keep, the Infatuation Situation, and the fantasy I had about Homura's body... ok, maybe not that last one, but I'll tell her the rest, that way I can have a clear conscience, and perhaps a wingwoman.

When the next day reared its ugly head, I started my journey to school. I figured that if I got there early enough I could have an audience with Sayaka before class.

As fate would have it though, I ran into Sayaka and Madoka on my way. I hesitantly joined up with them.

"Hey Madoka, hey Saya. How's life?"

I had apparently scared the living daylights out of Sayaka because she flinched upon hearing my voice. Madoka, however, was quick to return my greeting with her own.

"Good morning, Kyoko. I'd say life is great! Wouldn't you Sayaka-chan?"

Sayaka stuttered when she spoke up. "Y-yes, of course! Life's always been great!" Wow, she was even more nervous than I was. Regardless, we all continued on our way to school, eventually picking Homura up along the way.

When we got to class, I immediately sat down and texted Sayaka _When can u and i talk?_ It wasn't even a minute I received her answer:

 _After schul ends_

Alright, I have until the end of the day to reenforce my nerves. Today I am confessing all my emotions to Sayaka... today I am confessing all my emotions to Sayaka... today I am confessing all my emotions to Sayaka.

I'm about to confess all my emotions to Sayaka!

I had waited all day for the next few moments of my life. We barely said a word to each other at lunch, and besides those few words we were practically in a cold war.

Finally the bell rang it ugly tone and all of Mitakihara High's students gunned for the exit. I stayed in my seat for a minute before Homes guided me out of the room. When we finally left the classroom, I saw Saya walking towards me.

Oh man, I'm not ready! I'M NOT READY! SAVE ME GHANDI!

Then, like the sneaky chick she is, Sayaka demanded that presence in the classroom on official student council orders. This ploy allowed me to separate from Homes without any unnecessary lie. Good idea Saya. We may just get out of this alive yet.

But now me and Sayaka are alone in the classroom. She closed the door behind her as I took a seat on top of the desk nearest to me. A heavy, awkward atmosphere was what ensued for the next couple of seconds.

"So," Sayaka said, breaking the silence, "you have a confession to make?"

Suddenly my heart started to beat faster. Holy crap, I'm actually doing this. I'm about to confess to Sayaka!... Wait a minu—

"Kyoko, we've known each other a long time," I don't think I like where this is going, but I'll play along anyways, "and you're one of the best friends I've ever had."

I really should stop her. "What are you saying Sayaka?" But I just can't help myself. "Am I not good enough? Do I offend!?"

"No!" She shouted. "That's not it! That's not it at all!"

"Oh good cause I like Homura."

I will never, ever, never ever forget Sayaka's face until the day I die. She shot straight up, widened her eyes, dropped her jaw, and let out a weird "Waahioteeewhat!?" She almost sounded disappointed.

"You like Homura-san!? When did that happen, Kyoko?"

"I don't know, few days ago. Possibly a week."

"But I, you, gay, how, HOMURA!?" She could only form abstract thoughts. "How do you of all people like Homura!?"

Then I started to feel my throat swell up again. Why were words so hard to say when they weren't in a comedic context?

Sayaka noticed this too and put on a concerned look. "Kyoko? Are you ok?"

I felt the heat rising to my cheeks. I didn't know what to say anymore. My mind was drawing blanks, and whenever it drew something it was a crappy scribble. My brain went into panic mode and I attempted to escape. "I-I just w-wanted to get that off my chest," I hopped off the desk and edged towards the door, "so I'm gonna go—"

"Oh no you're not!" She slammed her hand on my desk. "We are going to talk about this, and we're going to talk about it _now_!" There was an unexpected fear of Sayaka building in my soul. What is this conversation turning into?

"A-actually I think I left the oven on this morning—"

"Sit. Down. _Now!_ "

Suffice to say, I was back in the desk within seconds, and with a newfound phobia of the color blue. Sayaka stood over the desk with her arms crossed and stared at me. I refused to look up and meet her eyes out of fear for my own sanity.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sayaka finally broke the silence. "So you have a crush on Homura-san?"

I nodded, still refusing to look at her. Sayaka went quiet for a minute, prompting me to steal a glance at her face, only I kinda wish I didn't. She had this big stupid grin stretching from one ear to the other and was on the verge of laughing. I thought she'd explode any second.

I felt my right eye twitch at the sight. "S-Sayaka?"

Then she exploded. Not literally, but figuratively. I jumped out of the desk and started strangling her while she enjoyed laughing her arse off endlessly. And here I thought she was going to kill me.

"Bwahahahaha! Kyoko— Kyoko— likes Homura! Haaahahahahaa— blegh!" I punched her in the gut, which was probably already sore from the bellowing, causing her to kneel over. "Hey! That hurt!" Now she was angry.

"Well you had it coming, laughing at me like that!" I yelled, actually a little hurt.

Sayaka stood back up, looked at my embarrassed face, and started giggling again. "Sorry, I just can't help it. Our little Kyoko is finally growing up!" She looked happy, but I thought I saw traces of melancholy in her smile.

"Is my life some kind of soap opera for you and Madoka?" I said sarcastically.

"Yes, but only on Tuesdays. When did this happen?"

"I don't know, sometime last week when I was eating a burger."

She simply stared at me. "That's it?"

"What do you mean 'That's it?'"

"I don't know, I figured there would be a sunset, or some wind-blown hair. Heck, even a candle-lit dinner, but a fast food burger—"

"The Dragon's Keep is not just some 'fast food burger!' It's my friend!" Yes, my friend is a burger that I devoured. Sue me.

"Y-yeah, right. Either way, this is great! You have your first crush!" I honestly couldn't tell if Sayaka was happy with this development or not. Something was telling me that she was weirded out by it.

I tried to study her smile, but to no avail. I guess she is happy for me. In that case, I shouldn't have to hold back anymore. "Yeah, I have my first crush."

Awhile back I was asked about any past love life I may have had in Kazamino by Saya. Of course there was no such romance to speak of, so I was edged out of Madoka and Sayaka's gossip about Seaweed Head. Even so, she never admitted her undying love for Limp Dick, making the entire thing feel anticlimactic.

So I have my first crush, and it's a _girl_. Homura nonetheless. What's really weird is just how accepting Sayaka is about this when I personally denied it for a week.

Maybe that's where we differ: Saya adapts to changes while I have to fight myself internally.

Sayaka placed both her hands on my shoulders and grinned. "How about you tell me all of this over fast food. My treat."

My eyes lit up and I started jumping for joy. "Alright then! Let's go!" All that was on my mind now was eating another Dragon's Keep. After all, I felt like I deserved one for coming clean to Sayaka.

* * *

Later on that night, long after me and Saya had our chat over a Dragon's Keep, I worked on my homework in my room. As I was repacking my school stuffs, I remembered something important.

I opened my notepad up to a specific page and made approximately four lines in two respective places, then marveled at the sight before me.

 _Kyoko's Bucket List of Romance_

 _1\. Acknowledge my feelings X_

 _2\. Confess to Saya X_

 _3\. Get Saya to confess to me_

 _4\. Send secret letter to Homes_

 _5\. Spend extra time with her_

 _6\. Confess to her_

 _7\. Hold hands X_

 _8\. Hug_

 _9\. Kiss_

Only six left to go. And yes, I'm totally counting that incident from yesterday as holding hands. Completely legit!

* * *

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and that Mami cameo. I'm hoping that with every new update my writing gets progressively better. I felt like this chapter was more stable structure-wise than the first one, so tell me what you think! Also I apologize for any spelling and grammar issues you may find.**

 **Also** ** _ASimpleReader_** **, you are absolutely right when you said I was rushing in that first chapter. The reasons for this are: I kinda hate intro chapters because I like to get into the meat of the story, which is a bad habit that I should fix in the future when writing; I feel that everyone from PMMM has an established ethos since we all know and ship them, so I just rushed through it with the intention of slowly building character (mainly Kyoko's since she's the narrator) as the story goes by, a nice perk I find evident in fanfiction; also the style of writing comes from my favorite book, A Catcher in the Rye, which is narrated the same way by its protagonist. I highly recommend it, especially if you're a teenager because only teens can truly appreciate it like I do.**

 **And thank you so much for being the first user to review it! Yours,** ** _Radioactive Secret's_** **, and** ** _Vandi's_** **review seriously filled my with DETERMINATION!... again, the same** ** _Undertale_** **reference.**

 **So with that I bid ye all farewell, and until next time!**


	3. Progress is Debatable

**Hello again everybody, Hornswoggler here! I'd like to thank the users who have reviewed this fic since you guys made me feel motivated. I felt unsure about writing fanfiction at first, but now I'm really having fun with it. Probably because I'm a huge nerd that enjoyed his Lang classes because he got to write essays for a grade. I need a life!**

 **By the way, I'd like to apologize to all the people who read the first two chapters without any page breaks. I had used a bunch of small dashes to indicate when there was a page break since my phone is incapable of creating them, but when I uploaded the chapters as documents the dashes were deleted, so now I've taken to using the letter A as a page break.**

 **Well now that that's been addressed, enjoy the latest chapter of Unholy Confessions, starring Kyoko Sakura as** **The Protagonist** **and Homura Akemi as** **The Raven,** **fraturing Sayaka Miki as** **The Kid.**

Chapter 3: Progress is Debatable

So I've successfully accepted my feelings toward Homura, held her hand legitimately, and confessed these feelings to Sayaka over burgers.

Now what?

The question followed me although the school day. According to my bucket list, now I was to either write Homura an anonymous love letter or get Saya to open up to me about her crush. Or both, heeheehee.

During math I constructed the best love letter anyone has ever seen! It had hearts, cursive writing, and even two lines that rhyme. To say the least, I was kinda proud of myself. It looked a little something like this:

 _Dear Akemi Homura,_

 _You are undoubtedly the cutest and smartest girl in school, which is why I admire you._

 _I'm writing now to express how cool I think you are, and to let you know that you now have a secret admirer. But don't think that means you have a stalker! I'm not a stalker!_

 _Anyways, stay cool, and stay in school Ms. Adora Homura!_

 _From,_

 _Your secret admirer_

Now imagine a few hearts scribbled around the paper and all the writing in cursive instead of italics and I've got myself quite the charming little love letter, don't I. The only thing left to do now is deliver it without being caught.

That's where Sayaka comes in.

Here's a rundown of our plan: before we leave our desks to go eat lunch on the roof, I strike up a conversation with Homes. While we chat it up, Saya sneaks up from behind and "joins" in on our talk. Once she is behind Homura, she'll slip the folded letter into her bag. It was fool proof!

I texted her the details and gave her the letter on our way to second period when me and Homura werent sharing a class. Now all I had to do was wait for lunch... ... why is there so much waiting involved in all of this?

Eventually third period rolled around. I looked over at Sayaka and met her gaze while the teacher was lecturing some guy about his love life. We both nodded at each other. Any minute now the plan was a go. Each second made my heart rate increase, and each minute another bead of sweat formed on my brow.

Then the bell signaling lunch rang. The plan was a go! I flopped around and faced Homura. She stopped packing her bag and met directed her attention to me. I opened my mouth, but...

I couldn't think of anything to say.

My mind was blank. My mouth was open and absent of words. Then I saw Sayaka approaching Homura from behind. _Oh crap, abort the mission! Abort! ABORT!_

No, wait! I can't back down now, not when Sayaka was the one with the letter. My only option was to go through with the plan. Without thinking, I started rambling nonsensical banter while Homes just stared at me.

"Did you know that William Shakespeare is suspected of being not only gay, but also a fraud? Yeah! I heard it on some documentary that he possibly wasn't the author of his works, and that that poem about a summer day or whatever was aimed at a guy, so who knows. Heck, maybe that guy he liked wrote all of his stuff! Who knows, right?"

By this time Sayaka had "joined" the "conversation," but both her and Homura just looked at me without so much as blinking. Our unofficial staring contest continued for a good sixty seconds before Homes blinked and went back to packing. Sayaka just walked away.

Plan A: success?

Instead of attempting to redeem myself, I just silently gathered my belongings and walked to the school roof with Homura. The walk felt pretty awkward, but I just went along with it. Rather than looking at her, I watched the trees sway back and forth outside the windows.

"... I never cared for Shakespeare anyways."

 _Huh_? I glanced at Homura, whose expression was still identical to the one from the classroom. I felt obligated to respond to her random comment, but I was still at a loss of words because of the letter. What would she think when she found it? Would she even care? I guess I'll just have to find out.

* * *

At lunch everything went back to normal, though me and Sayaka choked on our words on more than one occasion. Fortunately Homura and Madoka didn't seem to think much of our hesitant speech, so me and Saya's cover was still up.

I just wish Homura would hurry up and find the letter in her bag.

I expected her to discover it when she took her lunch out of the bag, but she somehow overlooked it. Even when she got her books out in our next class she didn't find it, and I'm starting to worry she'll never will. By the time school let out the letter still hadn't been unearthed.

I was beginning to feel discouraged. I expected her to find it immediately, but now that she hadn't I was afraid it'd just sit at the bottom of her bag for all of eternity. That is until I got the text message from Sayaka on the way home.

 _Hey Kyo srwysrwysrwysrwysrwy! I panicked an didnt plant the letr!_

Sonovabitch...

SHE DIDN'T SLIP THE LETTER IN HER BAG! No wonder she hadn't found it – it wasn't there to be found! I felt relieved, yet at the same time distraught. If Saya had blown it the first time, could she do it a second time? Possibly worse is trying to distract Homura again without arousing suspicion from her. After all, the plan went so smoothly the first time, so a second attempt could spell disaster.

I stared at my phone for a good two minutes straight as me and Homes walked home. Even when the screen had turned itself off I stared in utter disbelief.

Homura waved her hand in front of me, causing me to jump. "Kyoko? Are you listening?"

"Oh y-yeah! What's up?"

"I was asking if you wanted to get something to eat." Homura asking to get food? That's a odd, but who's complaining? Definitely not me.

"Sure, that sounds great! Where did you have in mind?"

"That place we ate at last week was tasty."

My eyes lit up at the thought of eating another Dragon's Keep. "To Vagabond's it is then!" In a flash of genius, I grabbed Homura's hand and led her into the city. My face ignited in a huge blush, but since I was running in front of her she couldn't see it.

It felt warm, her hand, just like it did yesterday. Our palms connected while our fingers wrapped around the sides. I was afraid my hand would start sweating rapidly, but I pushed away those worries. For now, I was holding my crush's hand, and I am content with that.

In this moment, I feel like a genius. A happy genius.

This whole time I had neglected to use common sense when thinking of how to interact with Homes. We were both girls, best friends, and she was more than used to my antics, so I shouldn't have to worry about acting out around her. It was normal. Things like this were what friends do, and that's what we are: friends.

"Ky-Kyoko!" Homura called from behind, "Could you slow down a little, please?"

 _Oops_. I eased up on the running and slowed down to a more reasonable pace. We were now at a jogging pace and getting relatively close to our destination – that is until Homura hammered the brakes and our jogging came to a screeching stop.

The action told me that I should let go of her hand, but her grip was too tight. Instead I turned around to ask why she had stopped so abruptly, but my mind went blank when I saw her. She was bent over with her free arm holding her knee, panting heavily.

"Homura? You ok?"

Without saying a word, Homes pointed to a bench with her free hand. I placed her arm around my shoulder so I could keep her balanced, then we made our way over to the bench.

We sat there for about five minutes, hands still together. Finally she regained enough oxygen to speak:

"Sorry... I'm not very... athletic..."

She was still breathing heavily, and my mouth was at a loss for words. What do I say to the girl I just dragged so hard that she could barely breath? Even more confusing was why she was still holding onto my hand.

I placed my other hand on top of our folded ones and tried saying whatever came to mind:

"Forget that, I'm sorry I made you run like that!" She was still panting, but it wasn't as bad as before. "Are you ok, or do I need to get you something?"

She raised her free hand to signal that she was fine. "It's nothing... I'm just horribly... out of shape."

Despite the reassurance, I let go of her hand and reached into my bag to retrieve my bottle of water from lunch. She took it before I could even offer it, chugging it faster than she could swallow. She coughed a few times, then took a couple of deep breaths. "I think I'm fine now."

"I hope so." I was stilled worried sick. She looked pale, well, paler than normal, so I didn't want to risk making her feel worse. "Let's get you back to your place."

For the first time since we stopped running, Homura looked up into my eyes, causing me to blush again. "But what about the food?... I thought you were hungry."

Why did she care about getting food for me when she just practically had an asthma attack on a bench? "Forget about the food, we should get you home so you can rest—"

"But it's just fatigue! I'll be fine, Kyoko!" I had never heard Homura raise her voice before, and I never wanted to hear it again. She sounded desperate for some reason, and on top of that she was still out of breath.

I put my right hand on her shoulder. "Why does this mean so much to you? It's just food, if you want we can eat at your place."

The look in her eyes told me that she conceded this argument. She broke our eye contact and lowered her head, then nodded. I stood up and offered my hand. "If you want we can eat tomorrow or Saturday. Sound good?"

She looked back up at me and smiled. "Ok, tomorrow then." She took my hand again and proceeded to stand along side me as we started towards her pad.

* * *

Thankfully the walk to her house didn't worsen her condition. By the time we were inside she was more or less back to normal.

I'll admit, when she let go of my hand upon arriving at her door, I was a little disappointed. The bright side:

I HELD HOMURA'S HAND FOR MORE THAN TEN MINUTES TODAY!

Even when she was panting her heart out, I was secretly enjoying the warmth resonating from her palm, and the way she held on tight when we had sat down on that bench. All of it made for an experience I both regretted causing and loved resolving.

"How about I cook us some ramen?" Homura said, breaking my train of thought.

I was so preoccupied with my hand obsession that I neglected to realize how dang hungry I was, 'cause right when Homes suggested ramen my stomach let out a nice, loud growling noise. Suffice to say, she understood what my answer would've been.

I took this time to start on my homework. I figured that if I could solve at least half of the math equations before dinner, I'd let Homura copy them, you know, since she'd get them right anyways. But before that I took out my notepad and checked my bucket list, particularly number five:

 _5\. Spend extra time with her_

Could I mark this one off? A good chunk of my week had been devoted to my time with Homura, and that was evidenced by Tuesday's homework session and today's eventful walk. Though on the other hand, that is only two major moments since the starting of the Infatuation Situation, which wasn't much considering the amount of work that would probably follow the next few weeks.

Closing my notepad, I chose not to mark off number five just yet. It was a stretch to mark off hand holding Tuesday, but given how loose of an objective that is, it seemed reasonable. Then I had an idea!

I reopened my notepad to the bucket list. I turned my pencil upside down and started erasing the X next to ' _Hold hands_ ' and wrote the the words

 _'as a couple'_ next to it, then repeated the same action on number eight. There! Now the bucket list has been updated!

 _Kyoko's Bucket List of Romance_

 _1\. Acknowledge my feelings X_

 _2\. Confess to Saya X_

 _3\. Get Saya to confess to me_

 _4\. Send secret letter to Homes_

 _5\. Spend extra time with her_

 _6\. Confess to her_

 _7\. Hold hands as a couple_

 _8\. Hug like a couple_

 _9\. Kiss_

Hmm, feels empty without that third X. Oh well, it'll be full soon!... At least I hope it'll be. Anyways, I should start on my homework.

Homura came in with the ramen about ten minutes later. She had made me a bowl with pork flavoring and herself oriental flavor. I didn't waste any time digging in when she supplied me with chopsticks, cleaning the bowl of substances within a record number of minutes.

I slammed my chopsticks onto the table before Homura had taken her third mouthful of noodles. I clapped my hands together. "Thanks for the meal, Homes! Really hit the spot."

The steam from her ramen had caused her glasses to fog up, so when she looked at me to reply, I started giggling.

"What's so funny?" She asked, rubbing the condensation off of her left lens. I pointed my index finger and wrote "Kyo" on her foggy lens. That allowed me to see the deadpan stare I had grown to adore – the one that made Homura, well, Homura.

"That's what's funny." I answered in between laughs.

In one of those rare moments, Homura's blank expression broke into a grin, then into an all out giggling fit. Seeing a real guffaw from her made my heart stop. Her emotionless face changed to a huge smile that was failing to contain her laughs.

It was one of the most precious things I have ever witnessed.

I'm pretty sure that I'm staring too much, but how can I not? Seeing a person you care about so much display timeless glee right before you just makes you want to give her a big freakin bear hug. I big, warm, passionate bear hug.

And without thinking, that's exactly what I did.

The moment immediately became weird. Not strange. _Weird_. There was no real reason that could justify my actions, so any excuse I could think of was rendered obsolete in my head.

 _Heeeeeelp_!

Then, right before I could fake a stroke, I felt Homura's arms envelope me. Her reason for doing so wasn't clear to me, but I wouldn't argue. I didn't dare argue.

I didn't want to let go.

We sat in each other's arms for a couple of minutes. By now my eyes were closed, Homura's ramen was cold, and my mind was racing and threatening to hit the "Screw It" button that would unleash all of my feelings onto her. Thankfully before I could, Homura spoke:

"I'm sorry. I must've worried you a lot, huh?"

I've been saved by Homura's own misinterpretation of the situation! How such a miracle happened I shall never know, but thank you God! I guess you haven't abandoned me just yet.

"You shouldn't be the one to say sorry. After all, I'm the person who dragged you three blocks."

"You wouldn't have done that if I had been completely honest with you earlier." Her hold on my person tightened, making me feel even more blessed than I already felt, but still concerned mind you. "See, I've had a heart condition ever since I was young—"

"What!?" I shifted so that I was looking directly into her charcoal irises. I was so distracted by this revelation that I didn't even notice how intense her blush was. "It's not serious is it!?"

"N-no! At least, not anymore, it's not.

That's why I'm allowed to live on my own now, b-because it's since become less and less of an issue, so you shouldn't worry about it."

I couldn't help but feel worried, scared even. What if this heart condition suddenly sprung back up again? Given her pathetic stamina, there's no telling when it could reappear to ruin her life. "Ok, I'll try not to."

But then I had an idea.

"Hey Homura."

"Hmm?"

"Would it help if you got into better shape?"

"Huh?" Homura was looking at me with a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Well," how do I put this? "If you were to whip you body into better shape, would the chances of that heart condition coming back decrease?"

Her hands moved from my waist to her chin, following with a nice long "Hmmmmm..." Her eyes shifted to the ceiling so I took free reign of checking her out without worry. My eyes settled on her chest... ... have boobs always been this attractive?...

"I guess exercise wouldn't hurt." My eyes darted back to her face in hopes she didn't catch my staring. Her black eyes met mine and I swore that second lasted for hours. "Kyoko?"

"I-I'm still here!" I said blinking, blushing, and mentally flushing. "So you do think that exercise could help improve your condition?"

Homura nodded. "If I was in better shape, my body would probably be able to mend itself. Why do you ask?"

"Because," my voice echoed with determination, "I am going to train you so that your heart condition won't cause any more problems!"

She was obviously unsure about this idea – I could tell by the slight widening of her eyes. "I don't think that is such a good idea—"

"Nonsense! I, the great Kyoko Sakura, am going to whip you into shape if it's the last thing I do!"

"Um... I don't know about that." So she still needed more convincing, eh?

"Don't worry, Homes! It won't be a repeat of today's little incident. We'll take things nice and slow, that way you can get active and healthy!"

She lowered her head and thought things over in her head. This could be a new opportunity. If I could get Homura to agree to a daily workout routine, I could mark off ' _Spend extra time with her'_ in no time.

Finally Homura lifted her head back up to face me. "Ok, but don't expect much."

My face erupted into a huge smile that I didn't bother trying to hide. "Sweet! I won't let you down, Homes!" I could see traces of reassurance in her. As long as I don't go overboard with this idea, it could allow an even closer bond to blossom between us... speaking of being close... we're still... embraced...

Best. Day. Ever.

* * *

"Good night Kyoko."

"Night Homu-chan~!"

She sighed. "Please just stick with Homes..."

"Hee hee, 'kay then. Night!"

We waved each other good night before I started on my walk home. A lot was accomplished this evening, and judging by the overwhelming smile on my face, I was going to dream merry dreams tonight.

Though one thing was still bothering me: the letter. The more I thought about it, the more I wasn't completely satisfied with it. Homura was a hard cat to impress, so a half-assed letter like that would only end up in the trash. If I were to really get to her, I would have to write something that'd leave a lasting impression.

I grabbed my phone from my bag and speed dialed a number. I listened to the ringing on the other end for a couple of seconds before it picked up.

" _Hello?_ " Answered the voice over the phone.

"Hey Sayaka, I need to stop by your place real quick, ok?"

" _What, why?_ "

"I need to borrow a dictionary and I need my letter back."

" _Why the dictionary?_ "

"Because I'm a logophile, that's why. See in a few."

" _Oh, ok. See ya_."

I hung up the phone and arrived at Sayaka's house shortly after. I rang the doorbell to her apartment. There was a thump from the other side of the door, probably because Saya is such a klutz and tripped over herself. Then the door opened, revealing the bluenette in her casual clothes.

"Hey Kyo! Come on in!"

"Sorry for the intrusion." I said as I entered the apartment. "Your parents not home?"

Sayaka closed the door behind me. "No, they're on another business trip until Saturday. Want something to eat—"

"YES!" I had eaten at Homura's, and I still had dinner waiting for me at home, but free food – I'm taking it.

"Alright then. I just finished making some miso soup. I'll pour you a bowl."

"Aw, thank you Saya-dear!" She blushed and proceeded to retrieve our soup. "Also, may I ask where your dictionary is?"

"Only if you tell me why you need it so badly."

"It's for my letter. Gotta spoof it up a bit so that it'll leave an impression."

Her interests were now piqued. "Oh really? What kind of improvements do you have in mind?"

I put on a devious smirk and a cocky voice. "You'll see, and when you do you'll be wishing that it was you I'm writing it for."

"Oh is that so?" she said, sounding a little teasing. "In that case I can't wait to see it Ms. Romantic Pants."

"Mock all you want, Bluebell, but I have confidence in this plan." I really couldn't think of any better idea. This love letter was going down in history as the greatest in all of Mitakihara High. "By the way, where is the letter?"

"The letter is in my bag next to the couch and the dictionary is on the bookshelf in the corner."

"Sweet! Thanks Saya-dear!" Every time I called her that she would blush, yet she never asked me to stop.

I scoured through the depths of her unorganized school bag and found the envelope that contained my letter of affection, then scurried to the bookshelf and removed her dictionary. When I sat back down Saya had already placed two bowls of miso soup on the table. "Bon appetite! Sayaka-chan's world famous Miso de Wonderfal!"

"World famous? I ain't never heard of you before in my life." Admittedly the soup was delicious. "Nine out of ten."

"Ha! Nine points!" Sayaka gave herself a high-five.

"Yeah, nine is impressive, buuuut anything world famous would have to be an undisputed ten out of ten."

"Oh shut up and eat your free food." She didn't have to tell me twice. It was gone before she could even take a third spoon full of hers. Huh, deja vu.

I clasped my hands together. "Thank you food the meal!" Now it was time to get down to business. I stood up and grabbed the letter out of its envelope, then began walking towards Sayaka's bathroom.

"Kyoko, what're you doing?" Sayaka got up from her seat and followed me into the bathroom. Inside I opened both lids of the toilet and dropped the letter into the water. "Whoa! Kyo, what're you doing!?"

"I'm doing what needs to be done!" I brought my cell phone out of my shirt pocket and opened my notes app. "Family, friends, toilet, we are gathered here today to mourn the—"

"YOU WROTE A SPEECH!?"

"Quiet in the back, please. Thank you. We are gathered here today to mourn the discarding of my first love letter. Though he wasn't able to fulfill his duties—"

"It's a boy?"

"Dang it, Sayaka, let me finish! Ehem. Though he wasn't able to fulfill his duties, he was a good letter. He had spirit, soul, and most importantly, pride. Had he gone all the way this morning, he may very well have achieved that which was intended of him. But sadly, Sayaka failed to deliver him, so now he is – he is..." I was starting to tear up a little. "He is to be laid to rest. Laid to rest in the place all crap goes: the sewers. Sayaka, would you like to do the honors?"

She nodded and pressed down on the toilet handle, causing the soggy letter to be pulled below to the sewers of Mitakihara.

"May Toby deliver messages in the afterlife. Amen!"

"Amen!" Sayaka said after me. Then, as though we read each other's minds, we both saluted Toby the Letter's departure from our world. A stupidly comedic silence filled the bathroom for minutes until Sayaka ruined it. "You named the letter Toby?"

"He was so young!" I mock wailed, pretending to be in serious agony.

"Whatever," Sayaka said while leaving the bathroom, "I'm going to finish my soup."

"Toby liked soup—"

"Don't start!"

* * *

I arrived home with serious determination. I went into my room, grabbed a pencil and a piece of paper, and then threw the dictionary open to the appropriate page... that is, after I ate dinner. Regardless, I began to pour my heart and soul into this note— not letter! —but note.

When all was said and done, I marveled in my creation. In front of me was a piece of paper so smooth that it hurt me to fold it. On its white surface it read... you know what, I'll tell you later for dramatic effect.

In the midst of placing the folded note in its new envelope, dad walked in and scared the living crap outta me. "Hey Kyoko, whatcha have there?"

 _Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! He cannot see this note!_ "S-school assignment."

 _Good thinking Kyo. There may be hope for you yet._

"A school assignment that requires and envelope? Is it for some kind of pen pal?"

Do I say yes or no? If I say yes, that'll end our current conversation, but then it may result in me writing fake letters to myself in different hand writing. On the other hand if I say no, I could make an excuse that would prevent any extra work. The only problem: what excuse would I use?

"Y-yeah! It's a cool idea that our teachers had. W-we write letters to our Kazamino pen pals and converse over the school year!" _Nailed it!_

Dad seemed convinced, probably because I'm such a talented improviser. "Well that's a cool system. Back when I was in high school we only sent notes to each other. Bahahaha!" Pops laughed at his own jokes all the time. "So can I read it?"

"Sorry papa, but this letter—" note "—is for Homura's eyes only."

... ... What do you want from me!? It just came out! Now my pen pal's name is Homura. What could go wrong?

"Homura? Isn't that the name of your black-haired friend?"

Oh yeah... he's met her before. "It is. Funny coincidence, right?"

His expression was a passive one, but for all I know he was skeptical. "I guess that is a funny coincidence." Oh good, he believes m— "What's her last name?"

"... ... Mami. Her last name's Homura, first name is Mami." I had never breathed a sigh of relief quite like I had just then. Now the only question I was:

Who the heck is Mami?

"Oh, so that's how it is. I thought they both shared the same first name."

"Nope! I just said her last name to throw you off." I hope I'm not pushing it, but I'm kinda having fun now. Deceiving your family can be quite entertaining. "So, did you come in my room for any particular reason?"

"Oh yeah!" He said, pushing up the pair of glasses on his nose. "The church is having a special party tomorrow at 5:00, so we need you to be dressed like you would for Sunday by then."

"Ooo a party! What's the special occasion?"

"You know the Tomoe's right?" I nodded. "Well their daughter is being baptized tomorrow, and since they've been such a big help with the church we thought a party celebrating their daughter's baptism was a good way of showing our appreciation."

"Oh cool! I finally have a reason to wear that cute outfit I bought last month." It was quite the charming outfit, but I'll give the details later, for even more dramatic effect.

Papa let out a small chuckle. "If you want to you can bring a friend, that way you won't get bored."

"Ok, I'll do that!" My thoughts: invite Homura, see Homura in a fancy getup, hang out with Homura, and kiss Homura. That last one is always on my mind.

"Well alright then. I'm off to bed now," papa said, walking out of the room, "good night, Kyoko."

"Night papa." The door closed behind him. I practically breathed relief when I was sure I was off the hook. Even so, dad could be perceptive. Just because he had left without another word doesn't mean he isn't skeptical about that note.

I took no time to ensure that the note was hidden. I put it in the deepest confines of my messy notebooks. The last thing that I could allow was for dad, mom or Momo to discover the contents of that envelope. I'm sure I'm going to have to deal with some kind of confrontation about my sexuality eventually, but I wasn't ready for that just yet. Doubt I ever will be.

I hopped onto my bed and glanced at Momo's empty bed. She was probably using every last ounce of her free time watching TV, like always. Always watching TV, Momo is. That's her alright! Lazy, smart, fierce... so how would she react if she found out her big sister was a lesbian?

It's inevitable that dad'll be pissed when he finds out, mom too, but Momo was still young and blissfully ignorant about these types of things. The last person I wanted angry with me would be her – the person I love most in this world. So what if she winds up hating me because of this...

These thoughts were making me think twice about everything. I should probably be trying to cure myself of my crush instead of indulging in it.

But would that change anything?

The idea of having a male partner didn't sit right with me, so even if I got over Homura, I'd still desire women. Nothing would really change except my desire's focus. No matter who I'm attracted to, odds are that it'll be a woman. It just so happens that my current affection lies with my best friend.

Since we're on the topic of my affection, would it ever be reciprocated? There's no telling whether Homura even swings the same way I do. What if, when the time comes, I confess my true feelings to her just to be rejected? Our friendship will never be the same – in fact, it'd fall apart.

Shut up! No more of these negative thoughts tonight. I need to focus on only the positives, like mine and Homura's embrace earlier today. Just thinking about it made my heart skip beats. That was without a doubt the closest we've ever been to each other, and she never seemed to mind it, rather, she enjoyed it. Definitely not as much as I did, but on a purely plutonic level of enjoyment.

As amazing of an experience as that was, it left me feeling totally empty afterwards. The walk home, the trip to Sayaka's, and dinner all felt colder compared to when I held Homura's fragile frame in my arms. The hunger I had accumulated for her presence had more than quadrupled after what transpired on her couch. The good news:

That hunger motivated me even more.

* * *

The next morning was a tiresome one. I set my alarm to go off extra early so that I could rush to school before Homura. The minute I arrived at school, I slipped the envelope into her locker. It's cliched, I know, but it's a heck of a lot easier than trying to reverse pickpocket her.

Lot less risky too.

I was predictably one of the first students to arrive to class. Since my plan was finished, I had nothing else to do until everyone else arrived and class started. In order to occupy myself, I sat down in my desk and took out my trusty notepad and flipped to the bucket list. Number four would be checked off soon, but not just yet.

I may even get to check off number five with confidence soon, and what better way to build that confidence than with our new workout schedule? I turned to the next page of my notepad and started writing plans for Homura's exercise routine.

 _Workout Routine_

 _1\. Light jogs everyday_

 _2\. Sit-ups_

 _3\. Push-ups_

 _4\. Eat healthy food!_

 _5\. Pull-ups_

 _6\. Lift weights_

 _7\. Stretches_

Ok, so these aren't plans exactly, rather they are mere activities that we would need to try in order to help Homura shape up – the thought of which made me start fantasizing about Homura in gym shorts and a small white tee doing stretches and pull-ups.

Now I was very, very, VERY motivated. The word commitment echoed throughout my brain.

I was becoming more and more serious about Homura every day. She was practically the only thing I thought about nowadays. Whether I was doing homework, eating a meal, or sitting through class, Homura is the only topic I honesty cared enough to think about.

That's why I nearly had a heart attack when she walked in, said hello and sat down in her desk behind me. I was too flustered to say a simple greeting. I was worried I'd do the same thing I did when my crush first started and run to the nurse's office.

But then I saw the opened envelope in her bag.

 _She read it! She actually read it! Did she like it? I can't tell!_ "H-hey Homes. What's up?"

She grabbed the envelope from her bag and handed it to me. "I found this in my locker."

I took the note out of the envelope and "studied" it. My note read:

 ** _beauty_**

 _[_ _ **byoo**_ _-tee]_

 _noun_

 _1\. the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind_

 _2\. an individually pleasing or beautiful quality; grace; charm_

 _3\. something excellent of its kind_

 _4._ _ **Homura Akemi**_

I handed it back to her with a shaky hand. "Aw, that's really sweet! Know who wrote it?"

She shook her head. "No idea, but I think I'll frame it."

 _SCOOOOOORE!_ "Really? What for?" I was trying to hide the excitement I was feeling, but I just wanted to jump for joy.

"Because whoever wrote it put real effort into it, so they deserve the recognition." Homura said,

making me feel giddy _. She liked it! She liked it so much that she's going to frame it!_

"That's really kind of you, Homes. I bet whoever wrote it will take pride knowing that you think so highly it." And I did take pride in it. LOT of pride.

Homura nodded with a small grin on her face as Ms. Can't-Get-No-Man walked in to start class. I turned around in my chair and flipped the page of my notepad back one so that I could add another check to my romance bucket list.

 _Kyoko's Bucket List of Romance_

 _1\. Acknowledge my feelings X_

 _2\. Confess to Saya X_

 _3\. Get Saya to confess to me_

 _4\. Send secret letter to Homes X_

 _5\. Spend extra time with her_

 _6\. Confess to her_

 _7\. Hold hands as a couple_

 _8\. Hug like a couple_

 _9\. Kiss_

Progress was being made. If I can get her to accompany me to that church party tonight, I may even get to see her in a dress... hmm, Homura in a dress...

Class started that day with a distant Kyoko daydreaming about her muse.

* * *

 **I had lots of fun with this chapter, for scientific reasons of course. I decided that it would be fun to make Mami's cameo loosely relevant to the plot. Apologies to Madoka since she had no role in this chapter. Now, let us all have another moment of silence for Toby the Letter.**

 **...**

 **Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and apologies for any and all spelling/grammar errors that I missed upon editing. If you liked it, write a review, and follow for more chapters in the future!**

 **And with that, I bid thee farewell, and 'til next time!**


	4. Revelations Fit for a Soap Opera

**Hello everybody! Hornswoggler here! Sorry this took so much longer than the others. I've been kinda lazy since summer just started, ya know.**

 **So let me level with you guys – I'm not a Christian whatsoever. In fact, I'm the absolute antithesis of a Christian, so apologies in advance if the baptism scene in this chapter seems a little odd or clunky. Besides that, this fic has hit over 550 views! Thanks so much!**

 **Anyways, hope you all enjoy!**

Chapter 4: Revelations Fit for a Soap Opera

"Ok Homura!" I said, stretching my legs. "We are going to take nice jog around the park. If at any time between here and yonder you feel dizzy, nauseated, sick, weak, stuffed, prone to vomit, exhausted—"

"—Get to the point—"

"— or gastronomically incorrect, then say so and stop immediately. I have water in case you get dehydrated, now let's do this!"

Today has been nothing but splendid. I marked off number five on my bucket list after learning that Homes was going to frame my note, I was going to attend a party with all three of my besties, and now I was training my crush in the park near our school. If this wasn't achievement, I don't know what is.

Now me and Homura were carefully jogging around the outskirts of the park. In order to prep her body for the more physically challenging tests we'd have to do later, we had to whip her into half-decent shape. Speaking of Homura's body, did I mention she actually showed up here in gym shorts and a white tee!? The whole thing felt like it was out of a dream I had in class this morning, and I loved every second of it!

That is until Homura's stamina gave out. The park wasn't very big, but we only managed to scrap past the hallway point before Homura began to stumble on herself. We both came to a stop next to a duck pond near the South side of the park. I offered Homes the water I was carrying, and unsurprisingly she took it without wasting a second.

"You feeling ok Homes?" I asked out of concern.

She swallowed all the water she had crammed in her mouth. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Think you can make it over to that bench on your own?" _Please say no so I can carry you bridal style! Please say no so I can carry you bridal style!_

"Yes, I can." _Damnit!_... it was worth a shot. We made our way to the bench and relaxed ourselves its wooden surface. Homura continued to chug what little water was left in the bottle while I let my mind run rampant with fantasies.

Homura in her gym shorts were cute, but my imagination conjured a picture of her in a fancy red dress with frills at the bottom. Not only was it frilly in all the right ways, but it was sleeveless – frilly and sleeveless. Perfection was the sketch of Homura's broad, spotless shoulders. Not sure why, but red seems to complement her black hair nicely. Hope I'm not drooling.

I peered to the girl next to me, who was wiping the excess water from the corner of her lips – her soft, savory lips. At some point this week the part of my brain that delivers cohesive trains of thought to my mind had become completely occupied with thoughts about Homura. What started as a small schoolgirl crush was now escalating to an addiction.

Homura's eyes shifted to meet mine, causing me to look away and blush. "Something wrong, Kyoko?"

 _Quick Kyoko, lie!_ "Y-yeah, just thinking about tonight." I've gotten better at lying recently. Not sure if that's a good thing, but it definitely comes in handy.

Homura pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I'm kinda nervous. I've never been inside a Christian church before."

"Really?" This isn't a shocking revelation. Christianity isn't exactly the most popular religion in Japan, let alone Mitakihara. "You shouldn't worry then, Homes. The people there are friendly, and my family seems to think you're pretty cool, so you've already got approval from the head preacher."

"Yeah, maybe, but it still feels a little weird to join you when I'm not apart of your covenant."

I took this opportunity to place my hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Madoka and Saya have come with me before, and they came out fine. Plus it's only for one night, not like we're expecting you to join in on tonight's baptism."

Her left eyebrow arced above her eye. "What is a baptism again?"

"Well you see, it's a ceremony where we dunk a person in holy water in order to purify character and initiate that person into the church!" I answered with as much enthusiasm as humanly possible. Not everyday that your friends ask about your religion.

Homura seemed to toss this concept around in her head. "So you've been baptized before?"

"Yep! Though I don't remember it since I was only a wee lad when it happened." My mother and father didn't hesitate to submerge me and Momo in a bathtub of holy water. "I do, however, remember when Momo had hers years ago. She was only a toddler when papa and mama felt it was time for her to become an official member of the church."

"Who is it that the party is being thrown for?"

"Not sure. It's the daughter the Tomoe family. Apparently she's our senpai, but I can't say I've ever really met her before." All I seem to remember is that this Tomoe girl was blonde, but that was about it.

I pulled my phone out from my pocket to check the time. "It's almost 4:00, so we should probably go prepare. Need help getting home?"

Much to my disappointment, she didn't require my assistance, so we bid each other farewell for the time being. I walked myself back to my house and immediately shut myself in my room. Opening my closet door, I rummaged through my wardrobe options. I could try impressing Homura with my cute red and purple dress I had gotten at a discount, but it seemed too show-offy.

Maybe I should go with the blue skirt and sailor-looking skirt. No, no, no, that'll never do in a church! How about that less attention grabbing black and white dress I got from my aunt? Hmm, just doesn't go well with my hair. If only there was some kind of perfect outfit for this occasion... oh yeah!

You may recall me mentioning that I have a special outfit that has yet to be worn. The outfit consists of a super cute blue jean jacket, a white undershirt, and a long pink skirt that came down to my calves. To match my selection, I chose brown boots because, well, they're freakin sexy.

I checked my bedside clock for the current time. 4:23, so only about twenty-seven minutes left before I meet up with everyone outside the church. Let's see then, I should brush my teeth, then comb my hair. That should be all that's left.

I started brushing my hair on my bed when Momo walked in. She was dressed in a small blue, puffy dress and her hair tied in a bun. She twirled a loose strand of hair with her fingers. "Hey Nee-san, mom's leaving now, but I'm not ready yet. Can I walk with you?"

"Of course," I said as I untangled a knot in my hair, "but you look like you're ready, so what's up?"

Momo thinks I wouldn't notice her obvious lie. Her face immediately turned red and she averted her eyes from me. "H-how did you know I was lying?"

"Cause I'm just that perceptive." Truth be told, Momo always twirled her hair when she lies. I figured that out a year ago when she amateurishly lied about eating my pocky. "So why don't you want to go to the party?"

She stopped twirling her hair and sat down next to me. She wouldn't look at me and instead stared at the floor. "You know Soma, right?"

Soma, the kid that Momo arm wrestled a few weeks back that resulted in her catching a cold. He's the same age as her, they both attend the same school, and he's quite the cute rambunctious little guy.

"What about Soma?" I think I can see where this is going.

"W-well I, uh, he is, um..." This is the most precious thing I've ever seen. "I t-think that, uh, he is, uh..."

I leaned a little bit closer. "He is what, exactly?"

"He is... he is..." Momo's eyes were moving all over the place and her blush was getting bigger. "He's a—"

"He's a what, Momo?"

She slammed her eyes shut and she gripped the edges of my bed fiercely. "HE'S A BAKA!"

I suddenly hit a knot in my hair. She's in denial, no doubt about that. "Aw~ Momo's got a crush on Soma-kun~! How adowable!"

"I do not!" She yelled in self-defense. "I would never like an idiot that scraped his knee sliding down a hill with a sled!"

"Yet you do, dontcha'?"

There was a moment of silence between the two of us. Momo sat still as though contemplating whether to tell the truth or continue denying it. I patted her head for support. "I almost can't believe it. This is your first crush, isn't it?"

She finally raised her head to look at me. "Is that so wrong?"

I shook my heads and smiled. "Of course not. Liking someone is apart of life."

She sighed. "Good. I thought I was just weird, ya know."

"Don't get the wrong idea. You're still weird, just not because of this." I put my arm around Momo's neck and gave gave her a playful noogie. This brought her back to her usual self, clawing at my arm while laughing in joy. It's these types of things that never change, especially between family members.

When I finally let her go, she picked up my hair brush and started fixing my hair up for me like the kind sister she is. "Hey Nee-san, can I ask you a question?"

Aw, Momo is asking me for love advice. Ain't that the darnedest thing ya ever heard? "Ask away, sis."

"Who was your first crush?"

If I was drinking water, I would've done a spit take. I was horribly unprepared to answer that question, mainly because I've kinda disliked every guy that I've attended school with. Back in Kazamino, all the boys that went to church with me were stuck up rich kids, and the ones in school were, well, like male versions of myself.

"I-I've never had a crush on anyone." That was true around a month ago, so it's not entirely untrue... right?

Momo yanked at a knot in my hair, causing me to yelp in fast and unexpected pain. "Liar, there's no way you've never had a crush before."

Crap, she's on to me. Whose name should I throw under the rug for this? Haru? No way, he was a creep. How about Yamada? He was ok, but it'd cost pride to say I had a crush on him. Man, what do I say!?

 _Maybe I should just tell Momo the truth._

Now that's a thought. That's a thought that I honestly don't know the outcome of. Mama and Papa would pissed if they knew I was gay, but Momo? Perhaps not, but there's no telling. Even if she'd be supportive, it could increase the chances of Mama or Papa figuring it out. Either way, telling the truth is waaaay too risky, so I blurted out the first name that came to mind.

"Kamigo!"

It was perfect! I got the dude's name wrong, so no one would ever meet this Kamigo character. The only problem with it was that thirty percent of my pride abandoned me upon yelling Limp Dick's false name.

"Knowing you, Nee-san, I bet Kamigo was really cool." Momo said, unaware that Kamigo doesn't exist.

I scoffed almost instantly. "Not at all! The guy was a real scumbag!"

The look of confusion, shock and dismay on Momo's face left me in a laughing fit. "If he was a scumbag, then why'd you like him!?"

"C-cause it— it—" I can feel my dignity faltering. "Cause it took me awhile to realize that." Complete lie. I disliked Limp Dick the minute I laid eyes on him.

I could feel her confused stare digging into my back as an alarm on my phone went off. The alarm was rigged to go off at 4:40, so that means I only have ten minutes to brush my teeth and meet up with everyone.

"Momo, you about finished with my hair?"

"Just putting on the finishing touches."

"Finishing touches?"

Momo put down the brush and removed a fake flower from my wall. She placed it in my hair and said "Tada!" I looked into my mirror and observed the subtle change that the flower gave to my image. It made me look _cute_.

My eyes lingered on my reflection for a few minutes. I couldn't deny that I looked quite attractive, but I also looked unfamiliar. I hadn't really looked at myself this closely in a long time, the last of which was before the _Infatuation Situation_. There were no noticeable physical changes I'd developed since then, yet it feels like I'm looking at a completely different person.

It feels melancholy all of a sudden.

"What do ya think, Nee-san?" Momo asked, interrupting my depressing thoughts.

I wrapped my left arm around her figure and pulled her closer. "It looks nice. Thanks Momo."

* * *

I wasn't feeling up to the party anymore. The image of my reflection had stapled itself onto my mind, leaving me with the sensation of sorrow. Whether I appeared to be identical to myself from months ago, the person I witnessed in the mirror was a stranger to me.

I guess I haven't totally accepted myself yet. Maybe I subconsciously don't want to.

"Nee-san?"

I shook my head and directed my mind back to reality. Momo and I were walking towards the church, hand in hand, in silence up until this point. Whatever she may have been saying to me was completely tuned out by my self-wallowing.

"Sorry, Momo, could you repeat that?"

"I asked what I should do if Soma-kun tries talking to me. Should I try hitting on him or—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa. You can't just start hitting on someone that you've known for a long time. You gotta drop small hints as time goes by." I'm not sure if I'm allowed to give my sister dating advice when I just as lost as she is – and because she's still so young – but I can at least steer her in the right direction... right?

"But won't that take forever?" She asked while pouting.

"Yes, but it's steady that wins the race. Besides, you have to confirm what his feelings may be before you dive in, that way you don't risk screwing yourself from the start." You know what, this is some good advice. I should listen to myself more often.

Momo looked almost disappointed, but her expression quickly shifted to one of deviousness. "Are you speaking from experience, Nee-san?"

"... No comment."

The church was right in front of us now, and standing outside of it was Sayaka and Madoka. The pinkette was the first to notice us. She waved eccentrically, alerting Saya to our impeding presence.

Upon closer inspection I saw that they were both dressed in really cute clothes, though Madoka went really overboard. She was dressed in a blue kimono with a floral pattern on it, just like last time. Sayaka on the other hand had picked out a rather formal-looking white, frilly dress that had those kinda puffy sleeves that are shaped like orbs... and yes, I have no clue if that specific kind of dress has a name. Sue me.

I waved at them as me and Momo neared them. When I reached them, my first comments were on the kimono. No matter how you look at it, it was overkill.

"Madoka, why're you wearing a kimono?"

She appeared to be a little self-conscious about her choice of apparel. Can't say I blame her. "W-well I didn't know how big of a d-deal baptisms are, so I thought I'd play it safe."

 _Safe is an understatement!_ Sayaka immediately retaliated in Madoka's favor. "What, Kyoko, does she not look cute in her kimono?" This only made Madoka blush more than she already was.

"N-no, that's not what I meant! In fact, Madoka's the best cutest one here!"

"But Nee-san, what about me?" Momo said, joining Saya in making me look bad.

"Yeah Kyoko, what about your darling sister?" Sayaka said mockingly.

My next choice of words must be planned very carefully. But what would those words be? Hmm...

"You know what," I began triumphantly, "I'm the cutest chick here, and there ain't no debate!"

Without anyone knowing, Homura had popped up out of nowhere and pointed to the sky. "Well I think she is the cutest one here."

As though she had been here the entire time, we all looked up at the sky to see nothing but a slightly darkened stratosphere with a few clouds.

"Homura," Sayaka started, "there's nothing up there."

"Teehee," she said monotonously. The only people who found this "joke" funny were me and Momo, unsurprisingly. She was dressed in a dark blue button-up shirt with a long black skirt. It wasn't much different from her casual clothing, but she still looked delectable.

"Homura," Sayaka said, "you're a real troll, you know that."

"Teehee."

We all made our way into the church after that conversation. The inside is exactly what you'd imagine a small church looking like: a bunch of pews, a confessional booth in the back, windows exclusively colored, and a stand at the top of a platform where the preacher, ehem, papa delivers sermons.

Today, however, the interior had been decorated: balloons were resting against the ceiling, a clothed table had food and drinks spread across it, etcetera etcetera. Despite all the decor, the main attraction was the large porcelain bathtub placed on the preacher's platform.

My mom saw us all enter and skipped her way over to us. "Hey girls! Glad you could all make it. The food is free for the taking, except for you Kyoko, I'm putting you on a limit."

"Awww! But mom—"

"No 'buts.' You may only eat one of everything on that table." She pointed at my three friends. "I'm counting on your three to monitor her eating." Everyone but me nodded. "Good. Also Madoka, honey, why're you wearing a kimono?"

Madoka's self-conscious blush reappeared on her face. "I was trying to dress safely for the occasion."

"Safe is an understatement," mama said ironically, "anyways, you girls enjoy the party. The baptism will commence at approximately 5:30, so be wary of that." And with that she was off to manage some other part of the fiesta.

"I knew I should've worn the yukata."

"Forget that! What about my stomach!?"

* * *

The four of us amigos mainly talked amongst each other for the duration of the thirty minutes. Momo, however, was swooped from my wing by her love interest. Despite the look of terror on her face, I couldn't help but smile at how flustered she gets when that Soma kid is involved. Without even realizing it, my little sister developed romantic emotions years before I ever did.

I'm starting to feel old.

I felt even older when Sayaka brought up the past with her and Madoka's old crushes. Just like the last time they did, I was asked all about my nonexistent romances from my Kazamino days. Even though I wasn't very interested in their talk of boys – for more reasons than one – my ears perked up the minute Saya asked Homura an ever important question:

"What about you Homura? You ever had a guy you liked?"

Now that was a question I had been neglecting to ask. Had Homura ever liked anyone before? What if she's had a boyfriend before!? Oh man, I don't know if I can handle that kind of info—

"No."

Well that was anticlimactic. Sayaka blinked as though she had missed her reply. "O-oh really?" Sayaka looked at me and noticed my blush, then winked at me. "Maybe you're into women then, Homura."

Sayaka you are the best wingwoman of all time. Homura actually let a blush show. "I-I may be. I don't know for sure."

 _H-holy crap_. Did she... just say... what I... Holy crap!

Madoka and Sayaka's eyes widened along with mine. "Wow! Really Homura-chan?" Madoka exclaimed, almost excitedly.

Homura's eyes darted to the floor. Her blush intensified to the max. "W-well I have never really thought about men or women. Either one doesn't sound bad."

I can't think of words to say. Homura is bisexual? That means I have a chance. A real chance! No longer do I worry about the issue of sexual orientation! Of course I still have the issue of whether she'll ever be into me, but this was a revelation to be happy with.

I think I may have been staring at Homura the wrong way because she glanced at me with an even bigger blush. "K-Kyoko, why're looking at me like that?"

Flustered I jumped back and averted my eyes. "No reason. Just thinking is all."

An awkward silence took over our banter. What started as an important discover had now turned into a strange scenario in which none of us knew what to say. I peered up at Sayaka. I caught her looking at me, which made her blush and peer to the left, but ultimately back at me. I gave her my best smile and winked, causing her to grin.

 _Ding ding ding_

My mother was tapping on a glass cup with a spoon. "May I have everyone's attention. It is time for the baptism to begin."

Everyone's eyes shifted to my father, who was standing next to the water-filled bathtub. Sitting in the bathtub was the blonde Tomoe with her hair in two ringlets. Pops kneeled beside her, washcloth in hand, and ask that we all join him in a quick prayer. Homura sat by, idly confused.

"It's ok Homes," I said, "you don't have to pray if you don't want to."

She smiled softly at me. "Ok."

The rest of us bowed our heads and listened to father's prayer. Though given my position, I didn't think I could accept the prayer. Instead I said my own silently:

 _Dear God, thank you for all you have done for my family and friends. I beg that you continue to watch over them in place of me who has sinned. While I have chosen a stray path from your teachings, I remain loyal to you, but only for those I love who haven't betrayed you. So please, Father in heaven, may you bless them in my place._

"Amen," papa concluded.

"Amen!" Said the rest of us prayers in unison.

Papa turned to face the blonde teenager. "Ms. Tomoe, we've all gathered here to witness your conversation to our shared faith. We've all watched you take part in Wednesday and Sunday communions and are proud to see you, on this special day, join the church in its whole." He moved the washcloth to her nose and his other hand to the back of her neck. "And now we welcome you in God's precious grace, and by the love of Jesus Christ."

Papa then lowered the girl under the water for a second before raising back up to the surface. Clapping erupted from all sides of the church, and soon subsided when the girl exited the tub. She looked like she was in a state of bliss as she took a towel that was being handed to her. Makes me wish I could remember my baptism.

Madoka tapped on my shoulder to gain my attention. "Is the baptism over now?"

"Yep!" I replied. "Now we feast and party!"

Sayaka looked disappointed. "That was it?"

"Yeah," I said. "Something wrong?"

"Well it's just that I was expecting more, ya know."

"Your expectations are too high, Saya."

"I don't know," Homura cut in, "I was hoping for a bit more, too."

"You're all a bunch of critiques."

"Teehee."

* * *

We all jumped into the line for food as soon as possible. None of us had eaten since lunch, so we – especially me – were all starving. Unfortunately Sayaka wouldn't let me take what I'd consider a reasonable helping of anything.

Then someone spoke behind me:

"You're the daughter of Father Sakura, right?"

I turned to my right to see the Tomoe girl with a plate of delicious foods. Very delicious foods... I'm sorry, where was I? Oh right!

I extended my free hand. "Yep! I'm Kyoko Sakura! Welcome to the family!"

She imitated my actions and clenched my hand in hers. "Mami Tomoe. It's a real pleasure!"

Huh? "I'm sorry, but what did you say your first name was?"

"Mami."

... ... That name... the bathroom stall... my pen pal...

 _Ohmaigawd!_

* * *

 **Hope ye all enjoyed this chapper! Sorry if there were any spelling or grammar errors that I missed upon editing. I just kinda scan over the draft, so there's probably a good bit that went uncorrected.**

 **Anyways, if you enjoyed it, leave a review! And if you have any criticisms about the writing, the characters, or the fic itself, then (constructively) criticize the crap outta it!**

 **That's all for now, so I'll until next time!**


	5. Rated PG For Bad Advice

**So I got a new computer the other day, and it has pretty much consumed the majority of my time, what with Undertale and such now being available to me. If you were wondering why this chapter took so much longer than the previous ones, then that would be why. But do not fear! It has filled me with DETERMINATION as I now have the ability to add legitimate page breaks to my fics! I know, awesome right.**

 **Before we get into this latest chapter, I'd like to point out that I HAVE OVER 900 VIEWS ON THIS FANFIC! That's more than 300 total views since the last time I posted! Thank you all so much! It means so much that this fic has almost reached 1000 views, so it pains me to say that I honestly am not very happy with this chapter. A lot of it is just banter that I suck at delivering in an entertaining fashion, and since it's not very dramatic I kept getting bored when writing it, hence another reason this took damn so long to write. I really want to just skip to the juicy stuff that I've planned for later, but I know that I can't, so I'm doing my best to pace everything appropriately.**

 **So without further ado, here's the latest chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 5: Rated PG For Bad Advice

"I'm sorry, but what did you say your first name was?"

"Mami."

 _Ohmaigawd!_ This is the girl that was in the bathroom stall that time I went looking for Sayaka at school! And now she shares the same first name of my pen pal! If that's all true, then...

 _Dad!_

I'm not off the hook yet! There's no way he isn't suspicious about this ridiculous convenience! Man, why does this world have to be so dang small? Instead of hitting the panic button, I decided to continue with my lie. "That's what I thought you said. See I have a pen pal with the same first name and was just wondering if I heard you correctly."

She had a huge smile on her face. "Whoa! That's such a cool coincidence! I've never heard of another person with my name before! What's her last name, if I may ask?"

"Homura, which is also a funny coincidence since my best friend's first name is Homura." She seemed to be enjoying this weird set of "coincidences" more than she should. For whatever reason learning about these shared names, so much so that I could see sparkles in her eyes. What a pure girl.

I looked around the room and noticed a severe lack of teenagers in the room. Besides me and my gang of friends, Mami seemed to be one of, if not the only other teenage girl in the room. "Excuse me, Mami-senpai?"

She put a sushi roll on her plate. "Yes?"

"Who is it that you hang out with around here?"

She continued to place more food on her plate. "I normally stay with my parents during church, you know, since there's barely anyone our age here."

I felt a light bulb go off in my head. "Hey, if you want you can hang with me and my friends! We always have interesting conversations, so you'll at least be entertained."

She looked hesitant to say anything. "A-are you sure about that? I don't have a lot to talk about."

"Nonsense, they'll love ya!" I said with as much charisma as possible.

She placed a piece of bread on her plate. She didn't seem to dislike the idea, but she did seem nervous. Probably just shy. "Ok then, Kyoko-san," she said decisively, "Lead the way." We took our food over to the pews that Sayaka, Madoka and Homura had chosen to eat at. I sat down next to Homes and patted the spot next to me for Mami.

"Everybody, this is Mami Tomoe." I pointed at Homura. "This is Homura Akemi," I moved my finger to Madoka, who was next to Sayaka on the pew in front of us. "The pinkette in the kimono is Madoka Kaname, and the bluebell sitting next to her is Sayaka Miki."

Saya pretended to remove a top hat from her head and bowed in her seat.

"Nice to meet you, Mami-senpai."

Madoka actually stood up so that she could bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Senpai!"

Homura just nodded her head in Mami's direction. "How do you do?"

Mami set her plate beside me and bowed. "The pleasure is all mine! You may all just call me Mami if you wish." She's polite, no doubt about that. When she took her seat beside me, Mami even clasped her hands together and said her own silent prayer. I did the same, except my prayer was, again, for everyone other than myself. Our group's regular chit-chat was postponed so that we could all eat our food rations. None of us had eaten since lunch, and judging by the sound of chop sticks tapping the sides of our plates, food was the only topic of discussion we'd be having for awhile.

"Oh wow!" Sayaka chimed. "This is the best yakisoba bread I've ever eaten!"

"I hear ya," I said, "which is why you guys should give me s—"

"Ha ha ha, not a chance." Saya could be evil at times. Though I can't say I blame her in this case. The bread was warmed at the precise temperature so that the bread would make that most excellent crunchy sound, yet at the same time wasn't so toasted that it was flaky. The yakisoba in the center had hints of oyster flavoring and were so juicy that it's flavor soaked into the bread.

When I was taking the final bites of my yakisoba bread, Homura held a sushi roll up to me between her chop sticks. I know that the gesture was a result purely of friendship and nothing more, but it nonetheless made me feel a little appreciative. "Thanks Homes." I took the offered sushi and eagerly plopped it into my mouth. Homura nodded with a slight grin, a grin you'd only notice if you had spent as much time with her as I have. It was a grin that made my heart flutter, as cliche as that sounds. I don't know any other way of describing it. Too soon, however, I ran out of things to eat. Even while everyone else was still digging into their food, I was pouting over the others for extra donations.

"Come on Saya, it's not like you can finish that yakisoba anyway! Let me help you!"

"Not en youu liphe time Sakurah!" She said with a mouth full of food.

"Come on Madoka, what about you?"

"Sorry Kyoko, but your mother made it very clear that you are on a limit."

"Darn! What about you Homes?"

"Sorry, my offer expired."

Foiled even by my own benefactor. The irony. I turned to Mami in hopes of scoring food from her. "What about you Senpai? Care to make a generous donation to the starving lady with luscious hair?"

Mami appeared to be at war with herself, like she was tempted to feed me, but knew it was the wrong— I mean unwise choice. "Um, sorry Sakura-san, but if you're mother limited you, then who am I to oppose her." I began to sulk. I sulked when everyone was finished eating. I sulked when the party came to an end, and I even sulked when the charade of sulking got old. I was a special kind of determined, and I was determined to get extra food, and I wanted extra food now.

Saya was the one who first noticed my sulking. Rolling her eye, she swallowed what food she had left in her mouth and turned to address my stubborn attitude. "What's wrong with you?"

I refused to acknowledge her question and instead continued to wallow in my own stubbornness. But now everyone was staring at me, making me feel nervous. The only thing I can do now is stand my ground and give them the silent treatment. And that's exactly what I did, until Sayaka couldn't take it anymore. She tried forcing eye contact between us by shoving her face in front of mine. What Saya failed to remember, however, is that I have eye lids!

"Dang it Kyoko, look at me!" She complained, squeezing my cheeks with both hands.

I wrestled with her arms in an attempt to get her off me. "Shaya, geh offa me!"

"Never!" Thankfully most of the party-goers had started clearing out moments ago, meaning only a few people bared witness to this pathetic display that was me and Sayaka. Three of those witnesses just so happened to be my friends, who around this time were entering their own conversation about the upcoming winter break. We were nearing the end of October, and surprisingly enough the weather was still rather warm.

"Do you two know what you're doing over the winter break?" I heard Madoka ask the others.

"I'm most likely having family visit from Ikebukoro again," said Mami, turning to the ravenette. "What about you Akemi-san?"

"Not much. My pa—"

"Ow!" Sayaka shrieked. "Kyoko, did you just bite me?"

"Self defense!" I yelped, unaware that Mom was standing behind me. Everyone else, however, was fully aware of her presence. "Yo Saya, something wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

My mother leaned in next to my ear. "You're about to be a ghost if you don't behave yourself," she whispered, causing me to jump out of my own skin. Suffice to say, I was pretty still for the rest of the night. After the initial seconds of shock that my mother created, Madoka, aiming to change the mood, picked up where her conversation had left off, however awkward it was. "So, Homura-chan, you were saying about winter break?"

We all turned our attention back to Homura, who seemed unfazed by the sudden appearance of my mother. Her eyes made their way to mine, but were retracted before she began speaking. "My parents are visiting Mitakihara for Christmas."

Homura's parents? The two individuals that got together and gave birth to this obscure ravenette. What kind of combination does it take to create someone like that? They'd both totally have to be as ambiguous as Homura, right? Or would they both turn out to be polar opposites of Homes with Madoka-like enthusiasm, or even complete hippies with a passion for emotional expression!? Whatever they're like, I have to meet them! If I can become that best friend who often visits and chats it up with Homes's folks, my goal of spending more time with her will become a cinch, even though we're already exercising together.

Without thinking, I blurted out the question that was crawling in my brain. "Are your parents like you, or are they like old school rich people?" Why I assumed they were snooty rich geezers is beyond me. Just seems really fitting.

"Oh yeah," Sayaka added, "like your dad wears a fancy eyeglass while your mom carries a Mary Poppins-style umbrella! Oh, oh, and I bet she always has on a really pretty pink dress with ribbons and frills all over it! And the umbrella has—"

"Breath Saya, breath!" I cut in, stopping her random bantering.

She took in as much air as humanly possible, then let out all of it in one giant breath. "Ehem," she continued, "in conclusion, I bet your mother looks like an old English monarch. Am I right, or am I right?"

"No," Homes answered, "she acts and looks more like Marla Singer." Mine and Sayaka's eyes and mouths shot as wide as possible with shock. From what she just said, her mother is an unstable drug-addict. Madoka and Mami didn't know what Fight Club was, so they only had our expressions to go off of. Homura glanced back and forth between the four of us before coughing into her fist. "Teehee."

"HOMURA!" Sayaka yelled. "You scared the crap outta me!"

"Oops."

For once I was too uneasy to laugh. What came out of my mouth was an awkward chuckle that abruptly ended when I saw my sister beckoning me from the confessional booth at the far side of the room. She was leaning out of the left part of the confessional and waving at me. I stood up from the pew and scooted my way past Homura. "I'll be right back guys. Momo's calling me." As I was walking away from my friends, I heard Mami ask about Fight Club. All she got from Sayaka and Homes was:

"You don't talk about Fight Club."

* * *

I took a seat in the opposite part of the confessional from Momo and closed the door behind me. I could see her through the square-shaped hole in the booth. From what I could tell, Momo was nervous about something, and if I had to guess, it was about Soma-kun. Only one way to find out! "So, why'd you call me over here, sis?"

"Well, I-I, uh..." Momo was tapping the ends of her index fingers against each other, contemplating how she should word her next sentence. Little beads of sweat were starting to form around her forehead. In order to lighten the atmosphere, I began whistling a catchy tune I had heard on the radio some time ago. Despite this, Momo continued to stumble on her next speaking attempt. And the next one. And the one following that one.

I'm still not used to seeing Momo so flustered. It's honestly so freakin' adorable that I just want to pinch her cheeks and give her a giant bear hug, yet at the same time it's quite strange given how abrasive she's been for most of her life. Hmm, I hope I haven't been the same way towards Homura.

"Nee-chan!" Momo suddenly shouted. "I need your advice!"

I grinned, wholely entertained by how red her face was becoming. "What kind of advice does my dear little sister need from me I wonder!" I teased. Admittedly, I was enjoying this scene, even if Momo wasn't. But come on, who doesn't love some sister bonding time?

Momo brought her knees up to hide her embarrassment. "I-I just wanted to—to ask... if I... you know, if I should... um—"

"If you should _what_?" I'm trying my best to suppress my overwhelming smirk, but it really doesn't want to leave.

"I WANT TO KNOW HOW TO ASK A BOY OUT!"

 _Well that came out different than I expected_. I thought Momo would try sugar-coating the question with some false setup involving a "friend" with the exact same problems as hers, but she just skipped straight to the point. Gotta say, I respect that. I for one know just how hard it is to open up to someone about your feelings towards a close friend - *cough* my classroom incident with Saya *cough*.

Now how do I answer this question? I'm the only person I know of that Momo can confide in when it comes to these sorts of things, so I can't just brush her off by saying I have no clue. Something like that simply won't do. So for the sake of Momo, I absolutely bullcrapped my ENTIRE response. Whether anything I am about to say is wise or not cannot be held against me, for I, nor any of my associates, promote the following "advice":

 _"JUST KISS HIM THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE ALONE!"_

Freakin' brilliant. Five stars. Ten out of ten - IGN. This is the kind of expert ideas that come from my rushed, redheaded brain. No wonder Sayaka never asks for help when it comes to Limp Dick.

If my own subconscience wasn't already screaming about how horrible my reply was, Momo's lack of pupils were the nails in the coffin. She was speechless, and I can't blame her. If I had just received similar advice for asking Homura out, I'd probably unfriend whoever gave it to me (my money's on Saya). Momo shook her head back and forth repeatedly in order to renew her composure. "T-that's a joke... right Nee-chan?"

"YES! A joke! That's exactly what that was!"

"Then how do I ask him out?" She asked again, only this time less flustered. Dang, how do you ask out a guy? The fact that this "guy" is only a kid makes the matter even more confusing. I hardly understand people my age, so how do I dissect the logic behind a kid's mind? I could try giving her cliched ideas that you'd hear from a movie, but... that's not good enough for Momo. If I'm giving my little sister advice, it's gonna be genuine!

"Listen up Momo," I said reluctantly, "if you're serious about asking out Soma-kun, then you just have to go for it. You just have to get him alone with you, and make sure the situation is normal and not awkward. Then, once the two of you are alone, you ask him, flat out with no strings attached. And also..." my tone was becoming more and more unenthusiastic as I talked. "Also, you shouldn't try any of that romance movie crap where you bake him cookies or write him a love letter. You just need to place all your cards on the table, because thats the only way you'll ever make any progress." I wish I could take my own advice sometimes.

A scared expression formed on Momo's face, for obvious reasons. "B-but what if he says no? Won't that mean the end of our friendship and all hope!?"

"Wha— no! You're jumping to conclusions! He's not gonna just blow you off like that unless he's a complete scumbag!"

"Then what do I do if he says no?"

That question made me think of Homura. What if I asked her out and she turned me down? The thought had always been in the back of my uncertain mind, but I've always been too scared to really think about the outcome of such a possibility. Now Momo is asking the question that I've been too terrified of answering myself. What do I say? Only one solution came to my head.

"If he says no, you wait, then ask him again. And if he says no a second time, you don't give up, until you know his answer will always be no. But no matter how bad you may feel after an initial rejection... you shouldn't feel discouraged. Only more motivated."

I sounded gloomy, and Momo noticed. Now it was I who was afraid of looking her in the eyes. "Nee-chan," she said, "do you have anyone that you like?"

 _Yeah, I do, and it's a girl_ , I thought to myself. Could I tell Momo about that? About how her big sister is a sinner that secretly scopes out her best friend on a regular basis? The last thing I'd want is for her to be weirded out by me, or worse — hate me. Though, I guess I have to tell her eventually, so why not now while we are sitting in a church confessional?

"Momo, could you keep a big secret if I told you the truth?" I asked uneasily.

"Yeah, anything for you Nee-chan!" She replied merrily. It's strange how our positions had just changed. At first I was the one all giddy about my sister's love life while she was embarrasses, and now it's completely reversed. The only difference: Momo has no clue that it's Homura. I took a few deep breaths to prepare myself. It was one thing to confess this to Sayaka since we're friends, but to confess to my sister who's been raised to look down on homosexuals could end disastrously.

"M-Momo," I'm beginning to sweat fiercely, "the thing is, there isn't any guy that I like. At all, and there never has been. You see Momo, sometimes a girl becomes good friends with other girls, and they spend lots of time together. At some point you get to know everything about them, so much that you learn all about their secrets, like how Homes has a heart conditions, or how Saya has a thing for that rich violin guy, and Madoka... doesn't actually have any secrets."

"Nee-chan, I don't think I understand."

Ugh, why is this so difficult. "Well, take me and Sayaka for instance. She likes that rich guy even though he already has a thing for another girl, so eve though Saya won't admit that she has a crush on Kamigo—"

A look of pure skepticism was plastered on her face. "Didn't you say you had a crush on— oh no, Nee-chan! You don't like still like him—"

"Oh heck no! Not that rich kid! I like women— uh, no! I mean, wait—"

I've never seen a person's expression change from playful to confused, to horrified, and to understanding so rapidly before. "Nee-chan... you're... gay?"

Oh god, this was a mistake. If I exit the confessional now, I can make a break for home, write a letter stating my farewell, then flee to Kazamino. If I grab the money I've been saving, I'll have enough to survive off of twenty-five cent ramen packets for at least a week. I'm sure everyone will understa—

"Is it Sayaka-nee?" Momo asked, interrupting my awful escape ideas.

So she thinks it's Sayaka I have a crush on. Guess that's not surprising, but I would've expected it to have been obviously Homura. "N-no," I muttered, "it's actually Homes..." We sat together in an unsure silence for at least five straight minutes. The lack of outside noise was digging into my nerves, making me want to take off before anyone had the chance to stop me. The only thing holding me back however was terrified curiosity. I wanted to hear my sister's opinion on my sexuality more than I do Homura's or pops's, 'cause if there is one person in this world that I'm helplessly close to, it's Momo.

Finally, in the midst of the straining atmosphere, Momo ended the quietness inside our shared confessional. "How long?"

"About a month, I think. I haven't really been keeping track." Neither of us wanted to look up at the other. Doing so would only escalate the uneasy air we were stuck in.

Or maybe I'm the only one who feels that way. From the other side of wall, I could hear faint chuckles resonating off of Momo's person until she erupted into a full-on giggling fit. I'd be lying if I say I wasn't relieved, mainly because it was a good sign that she doesn't loathe me, or resent me, or abhor me. Why're there so many synonyms for hate I wonder?

Momo's laughing spree died down a good bit, allowing her to form comprehensible sentences. "Why am, HA, I not surprised! You've always struck me as, HAAHA, a LADIES MAN! BAAHAHAHA!" Suddenly Momo was having too much fun with this. Though I will give her some points for that double entendre.

"So you don't think I'm weird or anything?" I asked feeling much calmer than I was five seconds ago.

Momo's guffaw by now had reduced to small giggles. "Nah, you're still weird, but not because of this."

That got a genuine smile on my face. If I could, I would strangle her in the biggest, tightest hug I could muster, but that was prevented by the wooden surface that separated us. Even so, I felt lucky to have such loving sister like Momo. Dealing with future ridicule would hurt a bit less now that I had the support of my dearest companion.

We heard a knock on the confessional, followed by my side being opened by my father. "What's with all the laughing in here? You two cracking jokes without me?" For once I didn't panic when I saw my dad. I felt secure knowing that Momo and I were still cool, and maybe even closer now that we've had this heart-to-heart moment together.

Momo chuckled again. "Yeah! Kyoko just told me a great one. So papa, did you hear about that kidnapping the other day?"

Pops raised his brow and smiled. "No I didn't. What happened?"

"Everything turned out fine! See, he woke up!" All three of us roared with laughter at that awful joke that I got from Ocarina of Time. Whether it was bad or not, it was a joke between me, my sister, and my father, something I hadn't experienced since the Infatuation Situation began. It was nice. I really missed moments like these, even though I hadn't really realized they were lacking lately. While the three of us laughed, I made a new resolution for myself:

Spend quality time with my family while they still love me.

There's no denying that my parents won't take kindly to my sexuality, so why not make the best of their cluelessness, as manipulative as that sounds. Maybe then they won't hate me just as much as I'm afraid they inevitably will when they find out.

* * *

When me and Momo exited the confessional, nearly everyone attending the party had left, including Mami, Madoka, and Sayaka. Homura on the other hand had waited for me... with my parents... I'm honestly terrified of the possible conversations that my mom and dad would've dragged Homura into, which is why when I saw her and my mom chatting on a pew I thought my heart would die on me.

Mom and Homes stood up when they saw the three of us approaching. Mom placed one hand on her hip abd smirked. "What was all that laughter about?"

I could practically feel Papa'a delight resonate beside me. "You see dear, our girls are comedic prodigies just like their old man." Papa had on the Sakura family's trademark smile of pride and joy to emphasize how proud he was of Momo's amateurish joke. I won't lie when I say that it felt good to be credited for coming up with that one, but I did feel a little guilty about gaining what should be Momo's spotlight. Sorry sis.

Mom on the other hand seemed to have expected as much, which meant that all we got from her was a slight chuckle and an eye roll. "Anyways," she said, "we should all get going. After all Kyoko, you've let Homura-chan here wait for quite some time now, and I'm sure she ought to be heading home soon." I honestly can never tell if my mom is being passive aggressive with her words or not.

Homura stood unfazed, as usual. "But I've only waited a couple of minutes." _Mom you are such a tease!_

Papa reached into his pocket and removed a set of keys. He shuffled them around until he found a bronze, square-shaped key before tossing them to me. "Why don't you lock up and walk Homura-chan to the intersection up the road, Tiger."

I held the keys as though I had just been charged with a quest from God for the holy grail. My body immediately stiffened and my right arm shot into a saluting position. "Aye aye cap'n!" Pops ruffled his hand through my hair before signing me off and leaving with Mom and Momo. Now me and Homura were alone in front of the church. I made to lock the front door, but Homes retrieved a folded napkin from her shirt pocket and handed it to me. I accepted the offering and found a sushi roll hidden inside it. I looked at her eyes, which matched the color of the sky above us. "Thanks Homes. You're a real good friend, ya know that?"

She shook her head. "That was Sayaka-san's. She asked me to gift it to you before she left." So Saya had come through for me in the end. I knew she'd try to do something for me since she refused me food earlier, but to think she'd have Homura deliver it to me. Again, Saya is a great dang wingwoman. I'll really have to thank her for her services over a Dragon's Keep sometime.

I quickly locked the church's doors and settled myself to Homura's right side. We started walking in the opposite direction of my house. "Pretty night, isn't it," I said lamely.

Homes nodded without looking at me. "Indeed." We continued strolling down the sidewalk The air was somewhat chilly, causing me to shiver a little bit. It's at this point in the story that Homura becomes concerned and grants me access to the scarf... ... Yeah, I know. That ain't happening. Much to my disappointment, I was forced to endure the cold night air without the warmth of my affection's nonexistent scarf. Does she even own a scarf? Hmm, maybe if she doesn't, I could be the one to wear a scarf, that way when she gets cold, it's snuggle city under my apparel's soft, cozy fabric. Then, when the two of us are hot, we'll stop under a tree, gaze into each other's comforting irises and rub our noses together like Eskimos do. Then, when my hand cups her cheek, we lean in closer to each other, so close that we can feel the heat of our breaths on our faces, close our eyes, an smooch passionat—

"Can I ask you a question?" Homura said, completely snapping me out of my fantasy.

"S-sure. Ask me anything." I'm praying that the darkness was concealing my massive blushing face from Homes. She still hadn't so much as looked at me since we started walking, which makes me feel worried about whatever question she might ask.

Homes however shook her head. "Never mind. It's nothing important."

I frowned at her. "If it's nothing important, than what's the harm in asking?" You know when you've stumped Homura when she blushes and glances in the opposite direction of you.

"It's nothing," she insisted, "just a really stupid question is all."

"Come on, Homes! I'm all for stupid stuff!" This was enough to convince her, as she grinned and asked her question:

"How come, when you were introducing us to Mami-senpai, you referred to Madoka-san as the 'Pinkette,' Sayaka-san as the 'Bluebell,' and me as Homura?"

Interesting. I hadn't even realized that myself, yet Homes had been holding on to it since this evening. Her question was one that I didn't have a specific answer to other than 'I just didn't think about it.' Even if I had given her some form of identification besides her name, what would it be? Ravenette I guess, but that would just be the same as calling Madoka a pinkette, it'd have no originality to it like Sayaka's nickname as Bluebell. The only real answer I gave her was "Well I call you Homes all the time, but I didn't want to confuse Mami-senpai into thinking that was your actual name."

This answer didn't seem to satisfy her, however. "Yes, but you also refer to Sayaka-san as 'Saya' quite often." _She's got me there_. It was when I lifted my hand to cup my chin that Homura spoke up again. "I told you it's stupid. I'm merely over-analyzing things."

I reluctantly agreed with her on that. I believed that to be the truth, yet I wanted some way to make it up to her, you know, cause it seemed to be bothering her. So, mustering all my courage, I said the corniest thing that came to my mind in order to reassure her:

"Just know, even if you don't have a special nickname like Madoka or Sayaka," oh God, here it comes— "you are my best friend."

This seemed to surprise Homura, as she looked at me for the first time since we left the church. "Really? I thought that was Sayaka-san."

I felt my cheeks heat up as I shook my head. "Nah. I do spend a good bit time with her, but I enjoy my time with you more." This was so corny! It was borderline cliche... yet, it seemed to do the trick.

Homura blushed and shifted her gaze to the sidewalk below us. "Thanks. You're my best friend too."

This wasn't news to me, but it still felt great to hear her say it out loud, so much so that I almost reached for her hand on impulse. The thought of holding her hand seemed so natural that I nearly forgot about the repercussions of doing so without a good enough reason. Nevertheless, my imagination saw me and Homes skipping in unison as we tightly folded our hands together.

By now the intersection Papa mentioned was upon us, meaning I had to bid my raven-haired friend farewell for the night. I turned around and began heading away from her, until I made an excuse to say one last thing to her. I immediately called out to her from a few yards, just so I could see her again before leaving. I nearly forgot what my excuse when I saw Homura's image highlighted by a streetlight. All of her gorgeous features appeared to be shining along with her seemingly shimmering eyes.

I took a deep breath in order to compose myself, then called out to her again: "Would you want to exercise again tomorrow?"

"Sure!" She shouted. "What time?"

"Does sometime around lunch sound good?"

"Ok I'll see you then! Goodnight!" She said before ultimately turning and leaving entirely for the night.

"G'night Homes!" I shouted, smiling at her fading figure in the distance. Suddenly, I wanted to head to the central park and begin working out instantly, but that would have to wait. For now I had to return home and sleep, that way I'll have energy for tomorrow's plans. I finally turned around and made my way home for the night.

* * *

 **Again, apologies for this chapter's delay. From now on I'm going to try meeting an eight day deadline for each update. If I don't meet that... go easy on me. I'll be sure to do my best. I'll also probably make these chapters shorter than the previous ones so that 1.) I can reach this new deadline more easily, 2.) I can have a life outside of this fandom, and 3.) so it's a quicker read for all you people on the go, so sorry forgoes of you that enjoy lengthier chapters like I do.**

 **Also _Leez_ , your questions shall be answered progressively as the fic goes on. I plan to grant much more insight to Homura's character later on in the story. In fact, I've already got it all figured out, but you and everybody else is gonna have to wait for now as it's still a little too early in the fic to execute the ideas I've got in store.**

 **And with that I encourage you all to leave a review if you have any constructive critisms you'd like to share that may help me improve the story or my writing in general. Also, sorry for any spelling/grammar errors that you may encounter while reading. Peace out!**


	6. Limp Expectations

**Hello, hello, hello, Hornswoggler here again with a new chapter! I want to quickly state some pretty cool news for anyone who enjoys this fic, which is that I will be uploading cover art for Unholy Confessions either later today or tomorrow. I never had one before because I was afraid of stealing someone else's artwork, so I decided to draw my own specifically for this story, which means it's amateurish, but it'll have to do.**

 **And with that out of the way, enjoy!**

Chapter 6: Limp Expectations

It's a nice Saturday morning here in Mitakihara. The sky is the color of Sayaka's hair, the birds are chirping vibrantly, the citizens are commuting cheerfully, and, speaking of Sayaka, she's sitting across from me right now. She was called out about half an hour ago by yours truly so that we could chat over a tasty Dragon's Keep. Today's topic: last night's sushi roll gift, my plans for lunch later, and also Saya writing a letter for me that is signed _Mami Homura_ in hopes that it'll trick my parents into believing my lies about a pen pal. Did I mention that it's pretty out today?

Sayaka coughed into her fist. "Kyoko."

"Yes?"

"Who in the hell is _Mami Homura_!?"

"Who isn't Mami Homura? She's a purple-haired vixen with an apt for painting. She's a daring adventurer who also enjoys quiet picnics under the stars. She's a—"

"Kyoko!"

"Ugh, fiiine! She's my fictional pen pal that apparently writes to me from Kazamino."

"And you created her why, exactly?"

"Cause Papa caught me writing my note to Homes, so I needed an excuse."

"Ah... and why am I writing it?"

"Cause if I write it, pops will recognize my handwriting."

"But you're better at writing."

"Your point?"

"Just write sloppily so he won't know it's you."

"I already write sloppily! I'm begging you Sayaka-dono! Please!"

"Hmmmmmmmmm, when you put it like that, it makes ol' Sayaka-chan want to help you."

"Good! Then I'll—"

"Buuut~!"

"—Of cour—"

"You must do my all my homework for this week!"

"Heck no! I'll do your homework for Monday!"

"Fine, Monday and Tuesday it is then."

"Wha—teh—flip—eh—FINE! Monday and Tuesday." Why am I belittling myself so far as to accept such an unfair deal?

"Ok then!" Sayaka cheered, extending her hand. "Putta there, Kyoyo!" As we shook hands, I pondered the possible origins of the name Kyoyo. That's right, _Kyoyo_. That was not a typo. "So," Saya continued, "what kind of letter are you commissioning me to write?"

"As I said, I need you to write me a letter from Kazamino."

"Yes, yes, I got that. But what kind of letter?"

"Hmm, make it friendly, yet affectionate! I want you to brag about me in pen, and I want it all snazzy-like! Something that'll make Shakespeare proud. Can you do that, Sayaka-dono?"

"I won't let you down Kyoyo-chan!"

"Great, now stop calling me Kyoyo—"

"Never."

* * *

... Well, that was a scene. Long story short, me and Saya chowed down our delicious burgers and argued over that sinister new nickname she's given me. Apparently she found a red yoyo at home and thought of me... how flattering.

Anyways, I skipped to the park since the time was 12:04, meaning that Homura was bound to text me at any minute! I skittered across the grassy field like a child and practically floated into a familiar wooden bench where I laid down the water I had brought for Homes beside me. As I merrily sat by myself, I started humming a little tune in my head.

 _Ima hang out with Homura~!_

 _Ima hang out with Homuraaa~!_

 _This is gonna be a fun day~!_

 _Sayaka's writin' me a letter~!_

 _Doo dum dee dum~!_

 _Etcetera, etcetera~!_

Allow me to remind you all, this is **_not_** a date. This is merely a normal daily exercise routine that me and Homes have entered and nothing more, despite what my mind keeps telling me. My thoughts won't stop fantasizing about Homura in her small white tee and track shorts, sweating and asking if I could carry her home like a princess due to her low fatigue.

I think it's safe to say I've become addicted to these little outings of ours. Whenever I make a "date" (still **_not_** a date) with Homura, I get about as giddy as Madoka does when there's a new student in school. Whether these outings ever amount to anything became almost irrelevant some time ago, and now it's all about living in the moment.

Oh yeah, that reminds me.

I stuffed my hand into my shorts pocket, grabbed my phone, then opened my notes app to my _Bucket List of Romance._ On it were three check marks and six unfulfilled goals, one of which I was still vexed by:

 _5\. Spend extra time with her_

I'm still not sure what I meant when I wrote 'extra time.' It could mean this daily workout thing, or it could be something even more. But what though? A movie together? A formal dinner together? An actual date? Whatever it means, I've got to find the perfect scenario if I ever want to mark this goal off.

And then there is number four: _Get Saya to confess to me_.

I've always wanted Sayaka to admit her undying love for Limp Dick, but I just don't know how to make her. After all, everyone is aware of how Seaweed Head is in the lead for his, well, Limp Dick, which is why pressing Saya's buttons about it could very well end in tears.

I think it's safe to say that this objective is an optional one, but that doesn't mean it's any less important. I mean, it's Sayaka. Of course it's important, especially given how much she's been doing for me this past week. Even if we bump heads on every single occasional find ourselves in, she's still just as determined as I am when it comes to these sorts of things, for some reason. Though I guess that's not too surprising since she's all about the power of friendship.

Speaking of friendship, I wonder if Homura has texted me.

I pressed the lock button on my phone and inspected the time. 12:07... it's only been three minutes... also there were no new texts... Oh well, that just means I'm not being patient enough, so I must wait!...

...

...

Any second now Homes is gonna text me...

...

...

... Yep...

...

...

... Not much longer now...

...

...

... Maybe I should text her—

 _No Kyoko! You must be patient! Bide your time! Entertain yourself for Homu's sake!_

My conscience is right! I have to endure this boredom... ... but why does boredom have to be so... boring.

 _Just distract yourself!_ Sayaka's voice echoed through my mind, _and also, there's a time and place for everything!_

That's it! A distraction! Alright, let's see... that's a _tree_. How interesting! Oh, oh, there's a bird in the tree! Fascinating!... and there's a couple... smooching on the... adjacent bench...

...

...

... That's it, I'm texting her.

I unlocked my phone and quickly tapped the messages app. I kept the text nice and simple, that way she wouldn't feel rushed or pressured by my impatience. And now I continue waiting... ... I think the worst part of this is that I can't pry my eyes away from the straight couple across the park. It's just so, how do I say, enticing?

Yep, I'll admit it, I totally wish that I was that guy and Homura was that girl. As much as I kinda hate those people who mess around in public, I envy them just as much... hmm, that chick has _green_ hair. Who do I know with green hai—

 _O MAI GAWD that's Limp Dick and Seaweed Head!_

* * *

Agony ensued for another fifteen minutes as it took that long for Homura to text back, change clothes, and walk to the park. By then I had already been scarred by the scene that had taken place before me, so mush so that I wasn't ready to speak to Homes in fear that she'd catch me looking all distraught.

But can you blame me? Sayaka's crush was getting frisky with her second childhood friend and tool! Such a development can only lead to... ... oh, poor Saya... Should I tell her, or should I keep it a secret?

Or does she already know?

These questions circled my thoughts like vultures picking at my brain. After all, this is Sayaka's _love_ interest we're talking about here. The supposedly tragic violin prodigy with a nat for intellectual discussions. Actually, now that I think about it, shouldn't he be in the hospital with a messed up arm? He's tragic for that reason, and right now that reason seems to be lacking, or missing for that matter.

Perhaps that wasn't Limp Dick smoochin' Seaweed Head.

That must be it! Limp Dick was never in the park to begin with. He's still in the hospital sicking it up and leading girls on... right? RIGHT!?

Is this what denial feels like? Feels like crap.

I snapped myself out of my daze when Homura's presence became apparent. I stood at attention and— what's this? Homura's hair is... _braided_. It's indescribable, her flowing black hair tied loosely around itself so that it won't spill out over her back. For some reason, it makes her look far more innocent than she actually is, almost like she has shaved two years off her appearance.

I think my mouth is watering.

Homura was now standing right in front of me, and all I could do was obsess over her hair. "Whoa!" I exclaimed. "Homes! You braided your hair!" Forever shall this wonderful sight be burned into my memory, my retinas, and my fantasies.

Homura didn't seemed fazed by my overreaction in the slightest. "It was messy," she said boringly, "I just braided it so I didn't have to fix it."

"Well whatever the reason, it looks great on you!" This was enough to make her lightly blush. Yet another image to remember in my daydreams.

Homura pushed her glasses up on her nose. "Anyways, exercise?"

"R-right." I was staring again, and this time she seemed to notice. Gotta get on topic before she starts feeling creeped out. "I thought we'd start with a light jog around the park. Sound good?"

Homes gave me a simple nod of affirmation, signaling me to grab the water I had left on the bench. "Ok then!" I said energetically. "We'll start off slowly! If you need to stop, don't hesitate to tell me and I'll give you this." I waved the bottle of water in my hand.

She looked all around my person and the bench, then back at me. "Did you only bring one?"

"Yeah, I figured I could go without any water." You've all probably figured out my super secret plan by now, but for those of you who haven't, stick around for when I make my "move."

Homes looked a little concerned, but I brushed off her worries by mentioning my female bravado. When I was sure she wasn't worried anymore, we took off on our path around the park.

* * *

Similarly to yesterday's run, Homura became fatigued at the halfway mark. We took a seat on the nearest bench we could find so that Homes could chug the bottle of water I had brought for her. As she appreciatively gulped down the water, I decided to put my devious plan into action.

I pretended to be out of breath, falsely panting so that Homura would express concern for my wellbeing. Just as I had expected, Homes stopped drinking and looked at my "tired" figure. "Do you need something to drink?" She asked, completely unsuspecting.

 _Hee hee hee! Operation Indirect Kiss is a go!_ "Huh, yeah. Think I can borrow your water?" I asked as innocently as possible.

Homura blinked at me with an empty plastic bottle in her hand. Somehow even the simplest of plans have gone south for lil ol' me. Though in fate's defense, my intentions aren't exactly the most noble. "Sorry," she said, "I drank it all."

"That's fine. Give it here so I can throw it away." I extended my hand towards her and gestured for the bottle. She placed the empty plastic in my hand as I stood up. "You wait here. I'll go find a trash can."

Homura nodded and I made off to the nearest street corner. Once I was sure I was out of sight, I hesitantly removed the cap from the bottle. In my hand was the object I had planned on drinking from after Homura, but now it was empty.

But that doesn't mean I can't still get that indirect kiss.

With this used piece of plastic, I can achieve what I had plotted this morning! I inspected it's illustrious tip with nervous anticipation. It was glistening, almost as though Homura's saliva had highlighted my objective.

I inched the tip of the bottle to my lips. Steadily it advanced past my chin and grew ever closer to my lips. The closer it came, the more my heart rate accelerated. My hand started to tremble, then my eyes shut themselves tightly out of fear.

Then, right as the bottle was centimeters away from my mouth, I froze. My trembling hand shook more violently as my lips curled in on themselves. Suddenly I couldn't bring myself to carry out my plan. I don't get it, if this was what I was so pumped for mere seconds ago, why am I so nervous all of a sudden? Wasn't this what I wanted?

... No, this isn't what I wanted. What I wanted was to drink after Homura with her as a witness, that way it would carry meaning in our relationship. I wanted it to serve as a step towards becoming closer to her, close enough that she'd allow indirect kisses like that. But without her here, there's just no point or meaning to this.

Slowly I moved the bottle away from my lips and down to my side. I scrunched the bottle as hard as I could before throwing it into the closest recycling bin I could find. Then I stood next to the receptacle with shame filling my chest for what seemed like an hour. _What's wrong with me_ , I asked myself, _I was actually going to stick my tongue into a..._

I feel sick.

What's worse is the thought of Homura finding out about these desires of mine. She'd probably look at me like I'm some kind of stalker and called me a creep, a pervert, or even a monster! The worst part would be that I wouldn't be able to deny any claim that she might make because, well, I'm starting to believe I am all of those things.

Or maybe I'm being too hard on myself. The guilt I was feeling wasn't subsiding either way.

Hesitantly, I turned around and made my way back to the bench we had been resting on. When I came around the corner and saw Homes chilling on the bench with her knees up to her face, the fear of confrontation began to wash over me. As I neared her, I felt tempted to flee the park, or at least text her some sort of excuse that would allow me to evacuate the area safely. Thankfully, however, I willed myself back to her side on the bench.

Even though I had reclaimed my spot next to Homura, I was still having trouble looking at her directly. In fact, I wasn't looking at her at all, and I also wasn't talking. Saying that I'm bad at hiding my emotions would be an understatement, which is why Homes asked 'What's wrong you gorgeous redhead?'... I'm also bad at coping with distress. That too is an understatement.

Anyway, I wasn't going to answer her question with the truth, but my brain hatched a clever coverup. "Well Homes, it's just... you know that guy that Saya is helplessly in love with?"

"Kamijou Kyousuke?"

"Yeah him. Well..." First things first, I need to figure out if that was really Limp Dick on the bench. "Do you know if he is still in the hospital or not?"

Homura stared at me like I had said something stupid, and knowing me I probably did. "Kyoko, he reentered our class Monday." Of all the dumb, asinine things I've done in my lifetime, this was, without a doubt, the biggest face palm I have ever had. This is the result of only having three friends and sleeping in class 24/7.

I remained like that for a number of seconds while Homura waited out my blunder. Finally, when I was ready to continue my venting, I removed my hand from my face and sat upright. "Well, I saw him and Seaweed Head—"

"—Hitomi—"

"—right, I saw Kyousuke and Hitomi k-kissing on another bench before you got here." Homura let out a 'Mmm' of understanding before releasing her legs and positioning them back on the earth below us. Then, as though we were exchanging roles, I brought my legs up onto the bench and stuffed my nose I between my kneecaps. My guilty conscience was beginning to fade, however this topic didn't make me feel any better.

I could tell that Homura was contemplating things in her complex mind because she was glancing upwards at the clouds. I had picked up on this habit of hers awhile ago and thoroughly used it as an excuse for "inspecting" her beautiful facial features. When she finally thought of something to say, she had one very long blink that transitioned her gaze from the sky to me. "Does Sayaka know?"

"No, at least I don't think she does. I was wondering if I should tell her." Now it's times like these that I really appreciate Homura because I had been absolutely terrified of mentioning to Saya anything relative to Limp Dick, but what Homes said next gave me confidence.

"It'd probably hurt less if you were the one who told her."

I stared at Homura with eyes filled with hope and reassurance. "You think?" I asked, eagerly wanting to hear some kind of complement aimed at me.

"Mhm," she replied, "hearing the truth from a friend is much easier than learning it the hard way through Kyousuke or Hitomi themselves."

Unbelievable. The answer was so obvious. Sayaka would have to learn the truth eventually, and having it sprung on her by Limp Dick or Seaweed Head without warning would absolutely crush her. But having a friend sit down and comfort her during a moment of weakness would make for much better therapy than sitting solitarily with your thoughts.

I made up my mind after some careful consideration, then smiled at Homura. "You're right. Thanks Homes."

"So you're going to tell her?" She asked.

"W-well, maybe not right now, but when I get a good chance I will." Homura nodded, filling me with even more reassurance. We both sat back in the bench and started glancing at other things in the park, and for the next five minutes, Homes and I enjoyed a nice, comfortable breather without saying any words. It's kinda nice, ya know, sitting here in a comfortable silence with my crush on a Saturday afternoon.

When the sixth minute of leisure came around, however, Homes decided to stand up from the wooden bench and take a long stretch, a stretch to which I admittedly checked out from top to bottom. My eyes started at her feet, then quickly scanned over her legs, which looked really nice when they weren't covered by knee socks. Then my gaze shifted upwards to her buuuu— her back. When she stretched her arms over her head, a thin layer of Homura's skin became visible in between her shirt and her shorts, something I would drool over later that day.

I think it's safe to say I'm enjoying her company a little too much. That's a third understatement.

"If you're still thirsty we can get a drink at my apartment."

 _Wake up stupid!_ I snapped myself out of my daze as fast as possible before Homura could catch me staring again. "Sure," I said, offering her my hand, "could you help me up?" I may not have gotten that indirect kiss that I oh so craved earlier, but I did just receive Homura's hand for a brief eight seconds (yes I counted), so that's a nice little bonus. Her palm was still sweaty from the jog, but I didn't mind. It was still as warm and soft as I remember it being – so soft that I could probably take a bite out of it like a marshmallow... that came out wrong.

Homes pulled me to my feet and let go of my hand all too soon, though. Had she not started walking in the direction of her apartment, I probably would've snatched her hand back without giving it a second thought. It was just, ya know, enticing, holding Homura's hand that is. By now I had pretty much forgotten what the hug felt like, so these little instances of contact between us felt all the more special.

Or at least they do to me.

* * *

Our walk to Homura's apartment was a relatively quiet one. It started with some small talk, followed by nothing. Not a single word, that is, until I got the text from Sayaka. It wasn't important, at least I don't think it was. In fact, it was pretty random, and... you know what, I'll just show you the text.

 _Yo Kyo wut is another wrd 4 serene?_

My first question was why she needed a synonym of serene if she was writing my letter. The second was to Homes, asking if she could give me a word for Saya... she says she doesn't know. Without a real answer, I decided to text back whatever.

 _Idk check dictionary or ask mado :P_

... So I like to use :P in my texts. Don't judge. Either way, Saya was quick to reply with the knowledge that I currently possess her dictionary, so I restated the second half of my text. This is what her next reply was:

 _Mados here & doesnt no_

So Madoka is chilling at Saya's. I'd say I wish I was invited, but I'm kinda on my way to Homura's at the moment. I asked Sayaka what she and Madoka were up to, and supposedly the pinkette was commissioned to help write my letter. Come on, Saya, you had one job! Homura caught sight of Sayaka's text and suggested the most obvious answer to Saya's troubles that neither of us had considered.

"Why doesn't she use the dictionary website?"

I could practically see Sayaka face palming the minute I relayed that question to her. And unsurprisingly enough, I got her next text within the minute.

 _lol *facepam* #sayakalutz_

I may have hyperbolized her message a little bit, but this way is more entertaining. Either way, we kept texting as me and Homes walked, and after some meaningless teasing on my part, Sayaka sent me her most important message ever:

 _Ya mado is spending th n8_

My first thought was on the obvious error of the way she tried to spell _night_ , but my second thought though! My second thought made me shift my attention to Homes so abruptly that I accidentally startled her. Before she could ask what was up, I shoved Sayaka's message in front of her eyes.

Homura inspected the message. "That says _neight_ , not _night_."

"Matsushida the Fifth, you are absolutely right!" I said, excited for my new grand scheme. "But that's not the point!"

"Then what is the point?" Homura asked.

I waved my phone in front of her as though emphasizing my next sentence, which was "We should have a sleepover!"

The thought actually made Homes' cheeks turn a faint light red before she almost shot it down. "Don't you have church tomorrow morning?"

I cannot, I repeat, CANNOT let this opportunity slip away! "Mhm, but it should be fine as long as I get there by eleven." The chance of spending an entire night with Homura is just too good to let slide, even if I end up having to beg Papa and Mama on my knees. Thankfully though, Homura didn't seem repulsed, appalled, disgusted, or bothered by the idea. Instead, she just did her usual "stare-at-the-clouds thinking routine." In the midst of her thinking, she had one peculiar remark that excited me beyond belief:

"I do have a futon in my closet for visitors."

My eyes lit up with enthusiasm, followed by a big happy smile. "Alright! Let's do it then, i-if you don't mind, that is." I realized that I was getting a tad too excited and tried to restrain myself. Don't want to act too demanding or I might turn her off to the idea. Homura continued to think things over by herself. It appeared as though she was trying to find some kind of hole in this idea, which admittedly worried me as the seconds gradually passed by. The building anticipation was eating away at me so much that when she told me it was ok as long as my parents approved, I felt like God had given me wings.

And just like that, number five on my bucket list didn't seem so far away.

* * *

 **As some of you can probably tell, I had a bit of fun with this one, mainly with Kyoko and Sayaka's conversation at the start of the chapter. I'm gonna go ahead and apologize for any spelling/grammar errors that you may have noticed, and then restate that this fic's cover art shall be uploaded soon, so hopefully you'll all like it.** **So with that, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I finished it in exactly eight days like I promised and I'll do my best to do that again with chapter seven.**

 **Well, that's pretty much it for me, so I'll see ye all next week! Peace!**


	7. Teenage Aaaaaaaangst

**Hello! Hornswoggler here! I'd like to warn you all about the future of this fanfic. It's not dying or anything, but starting with this chapter, Kyoko's gonna become a tad more emotional. In fact, the chapter title says everything. So I'm gonna go and let you guys read now that way you can see for yourselves.**

Chapter 7: Teenage Aaaaaaaangst!

 _Riiing riiing riiing_

I listened to the ringing on the other end of the phone call while looking off the terrace of Homura's apartment. I was feeling anxious, and my hand was shaking a little bit as it held my phone against my ear. To calm myself, I preoccupied my mind with the overwhelming view of Mitakihara. From where I stood I could see the tops of the buildings around me, making me feel a bit more confident.

Why did I need to be confident you ask. That's because this was to be the phone call that determined everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. If my campaign of romance is to venture any farther than it has, I'm gonna have to be persuasive. Very persuasive.

Allow me to catch you up.

So me and Homura finished our short jog and made our ways over to her apartment. She invited me in and started making some tea while I got comfy on her couch. At first I was biding my time by staring at Homura's back, but then my eyes started roaming around the apartment. It's kinda bland, actually. No TV, cheap sofa, used kitchen equipment off to the back of the room, and one bedroom with a small bed in it. Oddly enough, it suits Homura perfectly.

Homes joined me on her couch while the water for the tea was heating up. Neither of us said anything at first – we just kept inspecting the tinier details of the apartment living room. It's actually nice, the apartment. Apart from looking dull, it is a pretty cozy little pad, even if it doesn't have a TV.

I think my favorite thing about it, though, is the terrace that overlooks Mitakihara's streets. Did I mention that we're ten stories high? because we're ten stories high. That's, like, a million feet in the sky! The people below us look as small as my attention span in school, which is freakin' tiny! It's so cooool!... Wow, didn't realize how easily impressed I am.

"So," Homura said, interrupting my fascination with our altitude, "what does a one do during sleepover?"

"Well, normally people... uh..." In my time as a teenage girl, I can only claim to have stayed over at Sayaka's house once on her birthday with Madoka. To state the obvious, I'm in experienced. Nevertheless, I am determined to pull this off! "We could gossip!" I said after a moments hesitation.

Homura raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

 _Good question_ , I thought to myself. In case you aren't aware, Homes isn't really the gossiping type, and neither am I for that matter. Even if I was, what would me and Homura talk about? Limp Dick? Not a chance!

Instead of giving her a straight answer, I quickly blurted out the next idea that came to my head. "Play games!"

"Without a TV?" Homura retaliated.

"Card games!" I shouted. No matter what, I shall not lose this battle! If Homes shoots down one idea, I'll propose another until we've got a weeks worth of activities planned.

She nodded in response to the cards idea. "What else?"

Now in order for me to win this battle, I'm gonna have to rapid fire ideas from my gut. In my mind, stating a ridiculous number of ideas in one go will make it seem like I'm not as lost as Homura is. Will that work, pfft, I don't know, but it sounds like a good tactic in theory. I took a deep breath and then, with a quick exhale, I said everything I could think of:

"Braid hair prank call draw pictures dress-up paint nails karaoke pillow fights scary stories pilates yoga bathe board games da—"

"Eh!?" Homura shrieked. I don't think I've ever been cut off by her before, and for her to have done it with such a surprisingly high tone surely was unexpect... ed...

What the heck did I just say?

I said _bathe_. I said _BATHE._ And now Homes' face is as red as a chili pepper! Oh man, Ive said some stupid things in my time, but that was probably the dumbest! Quick, think of an excuse. Excuse. EXCUSE!

Wait! I don't need an excuse! Public baths are all over Mitakihara, and bathing with friends isn't unheard of. Heck, Saya probably bathes with Madoka all the time! So if I make up an excuse, it might make me look sketchy, but if I stand by my words, I might just get to... bathe...

My mind is starting to trespass in restricted waters.

In order to calm the situation, I played it cool. "You've never taken a bath with a friend before, Homes?"

"No," she replied, still blushing heavily, "Is that unusual?"

"N-no, it's not unusual. It's just something some people do for fun, ya know." I don't understand the appeal of bathing with other girls, but bathing with Homura... I-I really shouldn't be thinking of that right now. Right now I just need to convince Homes that this sleepover is a good idea... and maybe the b-bath idea too, but only as a bonus!

Thankfully, however, Homura's expression became a little less flustered. "Oh," she said as though embarrassed for not considering that from the get-go.

"So... you think you're up for that?" I asked, trying to suppress my blush. My only wish now is that Homura doesn't suspect my hidden intentions by asking. Actually, that's not true. I totally wish I could see Homura in her birthday suit... man, I really have become a pervert.

Homura pushed her glasses up on her nose. "I-I'd rather not, if that's ok with you."

I waved her off. "Y-yeah, of course. You don't have to if you don't want to." So even Homes is shy when it comes to things like that. That'll be good to know for future reference. Just then the tea kettle Homura had left on the stove starting screaming. Not literally, but figuratively. She rushed over to it and turned the stove off.

She brought over the kettle and set it on the table in front of me, then went back into the kitchen to retrieve two cups. I stared at the tea kettle as she did this. For some reason it made me feel uncomfortable with the way steam rose from the top. I almost lost my appetite for tea just watching the steam evaporate into the air. Almost.

Homura returned with two porcelains cups. She placed one in front of me and the other next to her, then lifted the kettle off the table and began to pour the burning hot liquids into my cup. I watched with burning cheeks as the steam dispersed upwards into Homura's face, causing small beads of sweat to form and her glasses to fog up. The sight repeated for me when Homes moved to fixing her own cup of tea, except this time I could see the water vapor

Something about the image made my heat start beating uncontrollably. It made Homura look _hot_ , and I mean that literally. Hot, steaming, sweaty, _sexy_ , and pure.

I darted my eyes from Homura to my cup of burning tea. The surface of the liquid was a murky brown with its own small trail of steam stemming out of it. Even though the steam was nowhere near me, I could still feel it's warmth from where I sat.

I instantly felt uncomfortable when I felt Homura take her seat on the other side of the couch. Knowing she was settling down next to me made my heart beat even faster than it had been before, and now sweat's forming on my forehead.

I want to go home.

I know I can't do that, but I really want to, even if it's only for a few minutes of breathing. The urge to do so is killing me, though. I feel desperate, claustrophobic even.

Then without thinking, I sprang off the couch. Homura didn't seem alarmed by it, which means I don't look panicked. Even so, I need an explanation for why I suddenly jumped up without warning. Ugh, think Kyoko, think!

I brushed my hand against my pocket and felt the outline of my phone. _My phone!_ That's it, I can use my phone as an excuse.

I pointed at the glass door that led to Homura's terrace. "Is it ok if I call my dad out there while the tea cools down?"

Homura nodded, and I wasted no time escaping the confines of her apartment. When I walked outside and closed the sliding door behind me, I felt scared knowing that Homura could still see me through the door. I should've asked to go into the hallway, or something, damnit!

I took my cell phone out of my pocket and speed dialed Papa, then pressed it against my ear. From the speakers of my phone I listened to the ringing sound as I glanced around the massive city before me.

 _Riiing_

I looked down and saw a seven cars rush down the streets, and oddly enough they were all black.

 _Riiing_

I looked up at the clouds and watched a flock of birds fly by, and oddly enough they flew in the shape of a V.

 _Riiing_

I looked to the right and saw an advertisement for Boku no Hero Academia, an anime currently being produced by studio Bones, who, oddly enough, is the neighboring studio to the people who produced my favorite anime that me and Momo watched for three months straight on Tuesday nights a few years ago when we lived in Kazamino... odd.

 _Riii_ —

There was a click signaling that my father had picked up the call. _Hey Tiger. What's up?_ It felt kinda relieving to hear his voice over the phone. He sounded as cheery as he always does, setting my heart at relative ease.

"Hey Papa," I said into the receiver, nervousness returning, "I have a, uh, question I wanted to ask you."

 _Oh yeah? Whatcha' need to ask your old man?_

"W-well," here goes nothing, "I was wondering if it'd be ok if I spent the night at Homura's place tonight."

 _Hmm_. I could practically see him scratching his beard, a habit of his that I find enjoyable pointing out. _You know that tomorrow is Sunday, don't you?_

I knew that would be the first thing he'd want to address. "Yeah, I know. I was thinking that, you know, since it's not a long walk, I could get up early and change at home." Fingers crossed guys. Fingers crossed.

Yet some part of me prayed he'd say no.

 _Hmm_ , he said again, _how about this, Honey. If you're mother says yes, then I'll say yes._

"Are you home right now, Papa?" I asked.

 _Yes, yes I am._

"Then do you think you could ask her for me?" Mama was more strict than Papa most of the time, as evidenced by the food limitation she put me on during Mami-senpai's baptism. Papa on the other hand was more lenient when it came to things like this, probably because me, him and Momo share a love for crappy jokes.

 _Sure, just hang on one second!_ I heard Papa ruffle himself off what I presume was the couch. The good thing about Saturdays was that both Mama and Papa didn't have to go to work, meaning me and Momo didn't have to wait till afternoon to see them.

While I waited for Papa, I turned around and checked to see what Homura was doing. What she was doing was the refreshingly cute action of blowing on her tea. All day I've been fantasizing about her inappropriately, but seeing her do that brought back the feelings of innocent attraction I had for Homes at the start of the _Infatuation Situation_.

You know, I kind of miss those earlier days of affection when I only saw Homura as beautiful and delightful rather than hot and lustful. Those days were much less complicated, and significantly less emotional.

I heard movement from Papa's side of the phone, then an unexpected little surprise presented itself to me. _Hey Nee-san_!

"Momo? How'd you get Pops' phone?"

 _He just left it here on the table. So whatcha' doin'?_ If hearing Papa's voice made me feel at ease, then Momo's made me feel Apollonian.

Wait a minute.

"Apollonian!" I yelled out, strangely proud of myself.

 _Apol-what now?_ Momo asked, reasonably confused.

"Apollonian! It's another word for serene." In case you had forgotten, Sayaka was looking for a good word to replace serene, and I think I just found it. Success!

Oh no... Sayaka! I completely forgot about her and Limp Dick smooching it up with Seaweed Head. And just like that, I feel sad again. "Hey Momo." I asked, tone a bit lower than it was previously.

 _Yeeees Nee-san._

"Do you think, I don't know, we could talk privately later?"

Her voice changed to a worrisome one. _Sure. Did something happen. Wait, you didn't have a falling out with Homura-nee did you!?_

"Nononono! We're still bff's. In fact I may be spending the night at her apartment tonight."

 _Eh_. For a brief second, I forgot that Momo was aware of my crush. _You're doing what!?_

"D-don't get the wrong idea sis! It's not like—"

 _Then who's gonna watch Hunter X Hunter with me tonight!?_

"... So that's what you're worried about?"

 _Of course! What did you think I was worried about?_

"Some sister you are! Here I am trying to open up to you and you're worried about anime!"

There was a slight chuckle on the other end of the phone. _Relax Nee-chan, I'm just messing with you. Hunter X Hunter comes on Mondays._

No matter what, talking with Momo always brings a little smile to my face. "Either way," I continued, "could we talk later?"

 _Yep! You can count on me! Also Pops is back so I'ma give him the phone. Bye Nee-san!_

"See ya, sis." While I waited for Papa to return to the phone, I could faintly hear him and Momo chatting about something. All I could make out was 'Who," 'round table,' 'Sir Cumference,' 'Bwhahahaha.'

*Ruffle ruffle* _I'm back_ , Papa said, now back at the phone, _and you'll never guess who invented the round table!_

"Sir Cumference."

 _Darn it, you heard us didn't you!_ Papa is the only person I know that takes bad jokes so seriously. He almost sounded angry.

"Um, a-anyways Papa, what did Mama say?"

 _Was I supposed to ask her something?_

"Papa~!"

 _Ok, ok, ok, I'm just messing with you. It's fine by us if you want to spend the night with Homura-chan, as long as you are on time for church._

"Wah! Thank you Daddy!" Papa is a sucker when it comes to being called daddy. "Oh, hey Papa, why are vampires really gullible?"

 _I don't know. Why are vampires gullible?_

"Because they're a bunch of suckers!" There's nothing like a good bad joke to get me and my pops laughing. Actually, it wasn't the joke that I was laughing at. It was the loud 'Bwhahahaha' on the other end of the line that got me giggling. How my pops finds these jokes genuinely hilarious is beyond me.

Papa let out a few more 'bwhahas' before finally settling down. _Welp_ , he said enthusiastically, _anything else you need to run by your old man?_

"One more thing, I'll probably stop by the house to get some stuff. That's all."

 _Ok then! I'll see you soon then, Tiger._

"'Kay, bye Papa!" There was a click signaling the end of the call. I held my phone tightly and stared back off into the streets of Mitakihara. It was simply amazing to see such a huge city be reduced to such a tiny view. I watched a bunch of cars drive by and thought to myself _I could get used to this_.

It then dawned on me that I was still at Homura's apartment and that she was still waiting for me to go back inside to drink the tea she had made me.

I turned around and pushed the glass door to the side. Homura was sipping on her cup when I walked in. The steam I had been so fixated with had by now disappeared, leaving me to feel oddly relieved. I strolled over to Homes' couch and plopped myself back into the place I had previously occupied.

Homura looked at me with the cup in her hand. "How did the call go?" She asked.

"Apollonian," I answered, picking up my cup of tea.

"Is that a yes?"

"Mhm. *slurp* Hey, this tea's pretty good."

"So what now?"

"What now?" ...

"Kyoko—"

"I'm gonna go home, take a shower, grab some stuff and come back here after I drink my tea. Sound good?"

"Sounds good."

"Sweet! *slurp* Wow Homes, this is some serious gormet stuff here."

"That's because when I buy tea, I want to taste it."

"Ah~ isn't it nice to reference things together?" Homes smiled lightly and continued to sip on her tea. I did the same. Then, without much else to do, I brought my phone back out from my pocket and texted _Apollonian_ to Sayaka. She was quick to reply with a _thx kyoyo! ;D_... so that's good.

I took another sip of my homemade tea, and you know what, I don't feel so bad anymore.

I feel quite Apollonian actually.

* * *

I slid the door of my shower open and turned the warm water knob. Cold water sprayed out of the shower head and splashed into the tub below. I ran my hand under the water to check its temperature. It was cold. Still cold. Getting warmer. Warmer. Warm. Hot. Scathing!

I quickly jerked my hand back and started blowing on it desperately. Using my other unburnt hand, I turned the cold water knob. I waited for the water to cool down before placing my hand under it again. Hot. Warm. Still warm. Perfect!

I released the towel around my waist and stepped into the shower (fanservice!). The water collided with my skin and trailed down my body soothingly. It felt almost therapeutic. Just what I needed after a good jog.

I brushed the dry hair out of my face and allowed it to soak up water. Tiny water droplets trickled off of the ends of my red locks. Each drop created a splash that melded into the river of hot liquid being swept away by the drain.

Steam rose up to the ceiling from the shower floor, causing condensation to form on the shower door, just like the steam from the tea did on Homura's glasses.

Homura, the girl whose house I'm about to stay at for an entire night. What would the two of us do for so many hours? I said play cards and karaoke among other things, but that didn't seem like enough. Maybe we could workout some more with yoga and what not.

Workout, huh. That reminds me of earlier today. You know, when Homes started stretching and I could see the flesh of her back a little bit. I imagined being on the other side of her while she stretching, paying witness to an exposed stomach – a stomach I would glide my hand over as I moved both hands to her waist.

Water flowed down the nape of my neck as the steam rose to my head. I allowed my eyes to close themselves so I could see my fantasy more vividly in my mind.

Both of my hands are positioned on her waist, and we lean into a kiss. A long, _passionate_ kiss. In between kisses, I use my hands to lift Homura's shirt over her head, revealing her... her—

" _Mmm!_ "

I let a muffled moan escape from my mouth. My eyes shot open and my breathing became heavy, as well as my heartbeat. An alien sensation appeared in between my legs, and the urge to do _something_ confounded my mind. That's when it became clear to me:

I'm turned on.

Again, I felt fear invade my chest. If I didn't long for my genuine attraction to Homura before, I definitely do now. I used to image Homura so innocently, but now I'm imagining these impure things and g-getting off to them.

The water didn't stop falling down my person. It felt relaxing. The steam however made me feel uncomfortably sweaty, despite being drenched.

The steam! That's what it is! I'm not turned on, I'm just not thinking right because of the steam... that must be it...

I kinda want to cry.

But I can't. I'm too old for crap like that. I just have to deal with it, like Momo dealt with her cold not too long ago. Everything will be alright, I just have to endure it... endure this feeling of sadness...

 _Drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip_ _drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip drip_

I... I should finish bathing...

* * *

I dried my hair off with my towel. When that method of hair drying became inefficient, I started shaking my head back and forth like a dog. That seemed to do the trick, though the bathroom walls said otherwise.

I exited the bathroom with a trail of steam following me to my bedroom. Inside I found Momo reading a book on her bed, you know, cause that's what smart people do.

She looked up from the book's word-filled pages to see me rummaging through my drawer for clothes. "Lookin' good Nee-san," she said jokingly.

"Don't I always?" I said, removing a white underwear from the drawer. I walked over to the corner of our room and behind a room divider, which I pulled to the side so that it shielded me from the outside world.

Allow me to explain the rules of mine and Momo's room.

We share the only upstairs room in the house. It's quite roomy, but we've made a mess of it, though the mess is organized. See, when me and Momo shared a smaller room back in Kazamino, Mama thought we'd want a room divider for boundary and privacy reasons. We used it at first, but stopped cause we kept moving it out of the way. When we moved to Mitakihara, the room divider was just kinda there, so we just threw it into the corner and deemed it our "changing station."

So I entered the changing station and equipped my panties and my bra, then stepped out to retrieve more clothing to wear outside my room (more fanservice!). Of course when I did, Momo whistled and said "Looking even better Nee-san."

"I know I am. Jealous?" We both giggled a little bit at our own immaturity as I grabbed a blue skirt and a red Vagabond's top. I didn't bother returning to the changing station, but instead just slide into my skirt and shirt. Last but not least I picked out one of my four identical bows and tied it in my hair.

Upon inspection via mirror reflectory powers, I looked gorgeous. Not just saying that either. Or am I? You be the judge.

I looked at Momo, who had gone back to her book. "Whatcha' reading sis?" I asked.

"Moby Dick."

"Isn't that that book about the clown fish?"

"No, that's Finding Nemo, a movie. This is about a man trying to get revenge on a giant whale that took his leg."

"Is it any good?"

"Omg yes!" I'll spare you all the spoilers that Momo blurted out in a fit of passion about an old book. Though I admit, it sounded pretty good. "And then they go out to sea to try and catch it! Anyways, didn't you want to talk to me about something, Nee-chan?"

"U-uh, yes. Yes I did," I said, cheeks turning red.

"So, what'd you want to talk about?" Momo asked.

Now I have two options here: talk about Sayaka and Limp Dick, or confess to my little sister the problems I'm currently having with my sexuality... I went with the former. "I, uh, at the park saw Kamigo—"

"—Kamijou—"

"—Gazuntite, smooching Seaweed Head—"

"—HitomiiiOMAIGOSH!"

"You see the issue?" I said, taking a seat beside her on her bed.

"What about Saya-nee!? She must be devastated!"

"Well you see, about that, I don't think she knows."

"Oh, so you want to know if you should tell her or not?"

"No, I'm gonna tell her. I was just wondering if you knew _how_ to tell her."

"Ah, let me think." You can tell when Momo's gears are turning when she starts humming her favorite songs. When I recognized the tune she was humming, I joined along. Next thing I know we're doing an impressive duet to Indiana Jones.

Momo clapped her fist into her palm. "Ok, this is what I've got!"

"Lay it on me sis."

"Alright! So Saya-nee is tough, right. Which means you just have to have a nice, long chat with her about cheerful things, then spring the news on her gently."

"That's the best idea you've got!?" I exclaimed, truly underwhelmed by Momo's answer.

"W-what? I'm not as good at this stuff as you are!"

"Well I suck at this stuff, so I'll take what I can get!"

"Ok, ok. Why not just invite her out to lunch and tell her. Your treat."

"Nah, food only works on me." It's true. Once Saya bribed me with a box of taiyaki to help clean her room.

"Well that's the best I got. Sorry Nee-san."

"I-it's fine. To be honest, I don't think there is a good way of telling Sayaka." Seriously, how do you drop a bombshell like that on someone? It's impossible I say!

"I guess you're right," Momo said, "that would be like telling you Homura-nee got a boyfriend."

"Heh. Heh. Heh." The very thought of such a development made my eye twitch.

Momo gulped. "Or even worse, telling Mom and Dad you want a girlfriend."

"Yep, that's gonna be a crappy day." No matter how I imagine that scenario going down, it ends with my rejection. "Would you help me if I wanted to tell them?"

It was then that Momo flung herself onto me. I was kinda used to her hugging me out of nowhere, but I wasn't expecting this one, not that I'm complaining or anything. I wrapped my arms around her and started running one hand through her short, red hair.

After about a minute of embracing, we separated. She had a concerned expression on her face, but I smiled warmly at her. "You're a good little sister, ya know that."

"Only because you're a good big sister." This sentence warranted me to pulled Momo back into a hug. I won't lie, even Momo's support wasn't enough to decrease my fear overall, but it did make me feel better about telling my parents. No matter what, now I'll have one family member that'll always support me.

"Um, Kyoko-nee?" Uh-oh, she used my name. This means something important is about to be said. "Can you do me a favor before you leave?"

I tightened our embrace to make Momo feel more comfortable. "Sure, anything."

Momo gulped. "W-would it be ok if, I don't know, you r-role play as Soma-kun for me?"

 _Eh?_

"R-role play?" Two words I never thought I'd use in a sentence now coming out of my sister's mouth. Not sure how I feel about this.

Momo pulled away from me. The redness of her face was more intense than molten rock. "J-just to help me rehearse my confession! Nothing weird! Nothing weird at all!"

 _It's weird. Totally weird_. But hey, who am I to deny my sister's strange wish? After all, she's been nothing but kind to me since she found out I was gay... I'm still not used to using that word. Baby steps.

I clapped both my hands on Momo's shoulders. "Let's do this!" I won't lie, I feel kinda awkward agreeing to this, but what's the worst that could happen?

My sister looked up at me nervously. "O-ok. Here I go." She took one very, VERY deep breath. "S-Soma-kun, we've known each other for a long time now."

I'm having trouble containing my grin. "What is it you want to tell me, Momo-chan?" I asked with a deep voice, pretending to be a man.

Somehow, Momo's blush became even redder. "I-I just wanted to t-tell you that... I, uh, I... I think you're... you are..."

"Yes~?" I take back my previous statement. This is fun.

"I-I think you're... you're... YOU'RE A BAKA!"

I face palmed. "Dang it Momo, do you know who never gets the guy in real life!?"

"Who?"

"THE TSUNDERE!"

"Well I can't help it!" She yelled. "Whenever I think about him, I think of long, tan and handsome, but I also think childish, immature and wild!"

"Well I'm not gonna stand for that! Take two! Go!" Momo at first questioned a second attempt, but conceded without argument.

She coughed into her fist. "Soma-kun, we've been friends for a very long time now, and I cherish our friendship."

"Me too, Momo-chan!" Every time I referred to her as 'Momo-chan,' she flinched.

"T-that's great. Which is why I have a confession to make."

"Ok."

"To you. Right now. At this very moment."

"Mhm."

"A confession... I have to make... to you... Now."

"I'm waitin—"

"YOU'RE A BAKA!"

I face palmed. Again. "Momo, you suck at this."

She sighed. "I know." Then, when I thought Momo was really upset, she started giggling, chuckling, then all out laughing. "I bet— HAHA— you're even worse!"

Now I'm laughing. "Is that a challenge?"

"That's a fact!" She shouted, obviously trying to ruffle me up.

"Alright then! You pretend to be Homura, and we'll see who's worse!"

"Game on!" Momo whipped her arm over her face, revealing a completely different expression from her gleefully red face. Now she was imitating Homes by acting unemotional. Quite impressive actually.

"Ok, here goes nothing!" I cheered, immediately losing all the energy I had built up two seconds ago. Now it felt like I was actually talking directly to Homura. "Uh, H-Homes, you're my best friend," Momo nodded at me, "and I, uh, really enjoy hanging out with you."

Momo blinked at me and pretended to push up a pair of glasses on her nose. "Is something wrong Kyoko-san."

 _Holy crap she sounds like Homura!_ "Well, you see... I, uh..." Despite her monotonous expression, I could tell Momo was enjoying this, which is why I have to turn the tides. "Hey Homura."

"Yes?"

"Give me a kiss—"

"NEE-SAN!?" I pouted my lips and closed my eyes while making a _muh muh muh_ sound. This proved to be too much though as Momo impulsively slugged me in the face with her foot.

At least she wasn't wearing shoes.

I toppled over on her bed. It took me a second of squirming to sit back up. "What the heck was that for!?" I shouted.

"You shouldn't tease me like that!" She yelled defensively.

"You act like I was actually going to kiss you!"

"How do I know you weren't?"

That... hurts. It really does. My sister is a less comfortable with my sexuality than I believed her to be. "Momo," I said, sounding hurt, "you don't feel weird around me, do you?"

My question caused her to look away from me. "A little bit."

I guess that's to be understood. After all, we were both taught that homosexuality was a choice and a sin. Can't really expect her to be completely open to all of this overnight.

I placed both my hands on her shoulders again and looked her in the eyes. They seemed scared almost. "Momo," I started, "I want you to disregard everything you've been taught about gay people in church, or by Mom and Dad. People like me didn't choose to be like this. We just are.

"And I don't know what you believe, but gay people aren't sex crazed maniacs or anything like that. We— I'm no different than anyone else. The only difference is that I like Homura, and only Homura. Ok?"

Momo stared at me. The look in her eyes told me that she was at war with her religious teachings and my philosophies. Her eyes slowly drifted downwards to her legs. Then she told me a story.

"One time," she began, "back in Kazamino, Dad took me to the convenience store to get some groceries. When we got to the frozen stuff, we saw these two guys holding hands and walking down the aisle. Then they stopped where we were standing and asked if we could scoot over so they could reach a tub of ice cream, or something. The guy who asked Dad's voice was really high for a guy, almost stereotypical, you know.

"Either way, Dad obliged and stepped to the side, then they got their ice cream, said thanks, and left. Then Dad told me that they those two were mongrels. At the time I didn't really get what he meant. I just figured that those two guys were old acquaintances or something, but... when I asked him about it later, he told me that they were gay, so they were going to burn in hell."

Momo's eyes weld up with tears. "And *sniff* I don't want you to burn in hell Nee-san." She was crying now, and there isn't anything I can do to set her conscience at ease. Instead of using worthless words, I pulled her back into another hug. A tight one. As tight as I could hold her.

That's when Mama knocked on the door and came inside. She saw me holding Momo in between my arms, then saw Momo bawling. "Momo, what's wrong?" She asked, unaware of the truth.

 _Damn it! This is the worst possible time Mom!_ Without even forming a lie, I tried saying something. "M-Momo just—" I stopped talking when she pulling on the collar of my shirt.

I looked down to see her wiping her eyes. "It's ok Mama," she said, "my *sniff* favorite Death Note character died *sniff*."

Mama's face didn't change, yet I could tell she wasn't very worried anymore. "Kyoko, you can handle this, right?"

"Uh, yeah. I got it." And with that, Mama exited the room with a small smirk, leaving me and Momo alone again, huddled together on her bed. "You ok?" I asked.

She wiped her eyes one last time. "Yeah. Are you?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Momo gently released herself from my grasp and hung her legs over the bedside. "I don't know," she replied, "sorry about all that."

I positioned myself next to her and ran my hand through her short, red hair. "I'm sorry your favorite Death Note character died." Momo let out one tiny, awkward laugh. Then, out of nowhere, I planted a kiss on her head. In response, Momo laid her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes.

In this tender moment, all I could honesty think of was how Momo was so good at lying to Mama and Papa. First it was with that bad joke in the confessional, and just now she played off a breakdown as an overreaction to an anime.

 _Probably cause Momo is smart_ , I told myself, _what other reason could there be?_

Momo raised her head to look at me. "Isn't Homura-new waiting for you?"

"Bah! You're right!" I jumped off the bed and started grabbing a bunch of junk I thought I'd need for my sleepover. Items included: cards, Monopoly, book bag, tooth brush, etcetera, etcetera.

Finally, to top it all off, I equipped my signature apparel – my green hoodie. It's got holes and loose threads all over it, but I'm too stubborn to let Mama buy me a new one, despite her constant whining about it being filthy and ragged.

Before I left, however, I saw Momo sitting upright on her bed, staring at the cover of Moby Dick. I set my book bag on the floor and called her name. She looked at me and held the book up so that I could see the cover. "The whale looks like Whamon."

 _Guess he does, except_... "But Whamon is a lot darker."

Momo shrugged. "Same difference."

* * *

 **Well, this was a whirlwind of a chapter. From here on, Kyoko is gonna be experiencing the more rigorous parts of her emotional developments, so expect more drama, mood altercations, and kinda dark comedy. Also if you were wondering, Kyoko was referencing Pulp Fiction with Homura. Why? Because I couldn't help myself, that's why. And Whamon that is mentioned at the end is a Digimon.**

 **Anyways, I enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you all enjoyed reading it. Next chapter will be, you guessed it, the sleepover! Hope you're excited for that.**

 **And with that, I apologize for any spelling/grammar errors you may have noticed while reading, and I'll see ye all laters.**


	8. My Futon Feels Wet

**Sooooo it's been awhile since I updated. Very sorry about that! Super very terribly sorry! I kinda got caught up in the summer laziness and, well, you know how it is. But now I'm back bitches, and I brought with me today a freakin behemoth of a chapter and a little side story as my way of making it up to all of you readers who had to wait a month.**

 **Now a short warning, I did not proofread this chapter because, well, it's long, so there are probably a gazillion grammatical/spelling errors in here. Hopefully those don't bother you guys too much. Now I'm gonna stop my bold fonted ramblings and let you guys start the chapter. Enjoy!**

Chapter 8: My Futon Feels Wet

Well, here I am. In front of me is Homura's apartment door... it's right there. Just gotta knock... on the door there... Just got to knock... and Homura will open the door... COME ON YOU PANSY! KNOCK ON THE FREAKIN' DOOR!

I edged my fist towards the door, took a deep breath, then counted to five, then counted to ten, counted to ten a second time, counted to ten a third time, took another deep breath, and then, with all my power!... nothing.

This is getting me nowhere.

I don't think I've ever been so intimidated by a block of wood before. That's all this is! A long piece of refined drift wood! So why is it so hard to knock on it!? Is it because it's fancy? Nah, that can't be it. Maybe it's just unknockable. In that case, I should call Homes so she can... o-open the door for me?

I banged my forehead against the door three times. How am I to get through this door when the mere thought of advancing terrifies me? I need some kind of plan, one that can ensure my slick infiltration of Homura's apartment. But what such plan is there? Pull the fire alarm? Nah too desperate, not to mention hectic. I could call her out to lunch and meet her at Vagabond's or something. That could work!

 _Or you could just knock on the door like a normal human being!_

Sometimes common sense makes a good, albeit boring, point. Even so, it prompted me to try again. I drew my hand close to the door and balled it into a fist. Nothing's stopping me this time! I can do this. On the count of three... one... two... THREE!

The door opened right as my fist approached the its surface. Homura appeared in front of me with somewhat wet hair, no glasses, a black t-shirt, and pink short shorts. I won't deny that I just developed a fascination with her legs.

"Welcome back," she greeted, "sorry I didn't come to the door immediately. I was drying my hair." She peered down and pointed at my skirt. "You aren't sleeping in that are you?"

I started blushed profusely. "Y-yeah. I forgot to bring spare clothes." Truly the highlight of my day unfolding before me.

Homura just shrugged. "You can just borrow a pair of shorts from me."

T-truly the highlight of my day u-unfolding before me. What is sharing shorts called? It's not an indirect kiss, so... I'm coining a new term for it right now! Indirect pants! So I'm gonna get an indirect pants!... you know, I can see why no one has tried naming this before.

A wave of determination, courage, excitement, and other good words washed over my mind. I imagined my bucket list, now updated with goal 5.5: Where clothes previously worn by Homes. It may sound creepy, but, it _is_ creepy. I'm not going to deny it.

"Thanks Homes, I can always count on you."

"Mhm," she hummed, motioning me inside, "come on in."

I stepped inside and was greeted by some steam leftover from Homes' bath. She closed the door behind me and walked into the kitchen area for the tea pot from earlier. "Want some?"

"Uh, yes, p-please." I feel unnecessarily nervous. Homura seems pretty relaxed, yet I can't help but feel tense as heck. It's probably because of the pants.

Homura poured the two of us both some tea at the kitchen counter. I took this time to soak in the image of Homes 1.) without glasses, 2.) with semi-wet hair, and 3.) with her lengthy legs exposed by her tiny shorts.

"You can set the bag down, Kyoko."

"Huh."

"Your stuff. You can set it wherever you want to."

O-oh yeah. Forgot I was standing here in a jacket like a dunce. Guess I'll just set my book bag next to the couch, and, you know, take off my jacket. Kinda hot when you aren't outside... feels a bit cooler now.

Homura brought my cup of tea over to me. Little cold, but tasty nonetheless. She sat down on her couch and patted the spot next to her. I took the offered spot and continued to sip on my tea, patiently waiting for Homes to start a conversation.

Honestly, I'm not sure if our long moments of quietness are good or not. I like to think of them as comfortable silences between two understanding pals, but the more they pop up, the more I kinda worry that they're a sign of incompatibility, or perhaps I'm becoming paranoid.

Either way, I'll just chill with my tea until Homes says something... *sip*. Patience is key! I'll be as still as Budda if I must!... *sip*. Any second now Homura's gonna start talking, and when she does, I'll respond like the suave teenager I am... *sip*. Yep, that's me – diligent, poised and classy...

I'm... out of tea...

I took another sip anyway...

Tastes like porcelain...

I'm really beginning to question my own actions at this point. There's no tea in my cup, yet I'm acting like there is. Maybe I should put the cup down— wait, no, I just took another "sip" from it. Worst of all, the taste of tea cup now lingers on my tongue, and I don't like it.

"Kyoko."

I calmly lowered the cup from my lips. "Yes, Homes?"

"Why're you drinking from an empty cup?"

... It's here that I'd like to remind you it has only been four minutes since I entered Homes' apartment... please help me God. Or Buddha. Whoever happens to be in the nearest vicinity.

I placed my cup on the table gently. "I was trying to get all the tiny drops out."

"Oh." She extended her cup of tea towards me. "You can have the rest of mine if you'd like."

"Sure." DAH! DAHAHAA! INDIRECT KISS! SWEET, SWEET VICT—

Why is Homura pouring her tea into my cup?...

So, so, _sooo_ close. Regardless of my shattered expectations, I drank the rest of her tea... still pretty cold, but at least I don't taste porcelain anymore.

"Well," Homura said, "what do we do now that you're here?"

I put my empty cup back on the table. "Don't know. We could start with playing cards or something."

"Ok." Alright, cards with Homura! This'll be fun, I'm sure of it! I got off the couch and rummaged through the various zippers of my book bag for a stack of Uno cards. That's right, Uno. Told ya I was classy.

"Ever played before?" I asked, fully aware of the answer.

Homes shook her head. "Never heard of it before."

"Ok then, allow me to explain: we start with seven cards, and to win you have to have no cards left. To play, you set down a card that matches the color of whatever was last played, with two exceptions, one being a card that matches the previous card, and two being a wild card which allows you to change the color. Then you have these." I held up a draw two card. "These are disruptions that cause your opponent to skip a turn. And last but not least, you must shout UNO! when you have one card left. If you don't, you have to draw four cards. Got it?"

"Um, sure."

"Great! Let's do this!"

I shuffled the deck of cards and tossed each of us seven, then set the deck down and revealed the top card, which was a red five.

"Ok, since you're a beginner, you can go first."

Homes nodded her head and proceeded to inspecting her hand. I did the same. What I had was a yellow three, one, and six, a blue skip, a green nine and green reverse, and a wild card. Not bad, but not the best. The wild card will be the trump card that gets me this game.

Homura continued to study the seven cards in her hand. "You said that disrupting cards skip your turn, correct?"

"Yep! Why, you got one?"

Homes nodded, then she placed a red draw two down on the pile. "Draw two, draw two again, yellow, reverse, reverse, blue, skip you, skip you again, draw four, change it to green, Uno, and one."

"... B-beginner's luck," I coughed.

"Perhaps," Homura shrugged, "play again?"

"Of course!" I piled up all the cards and reshuffled the deck, then tossed back another seven cards to the two of us. This time the top card was a blue seven, perfect since I have three blue cards. Best of all, one is a draw two, and I also have a yellow draw two. Only problem is that I have no greens.

"Since I won, you should go first." Homura advised.

"With please!" I slammed down a blue eight. "Go ahead, Homes."

Unfortunately for my plans, Homura placed down a green eight. I have no greens or eights in hand, so I'm gonna have to draw!... yellow four. Draw again!... red two. Draw again!... and again!... and again... and again... a-again...

This game is rigged; cursed; haunted.

Draw! Draw! Draw! Draw! One more time! Another for good measure! Next one I'm sure!... please? YES!

I placed down a yellow eight. "Suck it Uno gods!"

Homes blinked, looked through her hand, then placed down another green eight. My head immediately collided with the table.

"Are you ok Kyoko?"

"Yep, all is peachy."

"Do you want to move on to a new activity?"

"Please."

"Anything suggestions?"

My face shot off the table with an excited grin. "I've got a good one!" I got off my chair and rummaged through my bag again, this time for Monopoly.

I set it on the table. "This is Monopoly. It's pretty complicated, but with my guidance you'll have no problems!"

"Aren't there instructions that come with this?"

"Why yes, yes there are."

"Can I just read those?"

"Sure, if you want." I opened the box and handed Homes the rules. She quickly took to scanning all the words printed on it, and within two minutes gave it back to me.

"I think I got it." Homura said.

 _That was impossibly fast._ "You sure, cause there's a lot of pages in that pamphlet."

Homura nodded. "I got it."

"A-alright then. Choose a character!" Being the sweet, polite lady that I am, I decided to let Homura choose first. Her hand lingered over the pieces for a couple of seconds, until she finally picked up the _thimble_... why is that not surprising? Guess it's about as shocking as Madoka picking the _iron,_ or Sayaka the _battleship._

I on the other hand always choose the _dog_!

"So, who goes first?" Homes asked.

I extended my fist towards her. Homes stared at it for a few seconds before I murmured "Rock, paper, scissors." She got the message and did the same. "Ready?" I asked. Homes nodded. "'Kay then. First come rock! Paper! Scissors! Shoot!" Our hands each took on different shapes. And the winner is...

"Woo! Paper beats rock!" I cheered. "Guess that means I'll go first!"

I picked up the die and was about to roll when Homes put her hand on mine. "Wait, shouldn't we organize the currency before we start?"

For a second I was too caught up in having Homura hold my hand, but I snapped out of it. "You're right. Got any paper?"

"Paper? Yeah, why?"

"Cause if there's one thing they never teach you in school, it's that you never have enough bills to play Monopoly."

"What does that mean?"

"It means we'll be using _credit_!"

"Credit... oh." Homura went into her bedroom to retrieve some paper while I set up the cards. When she came back out, she had two pieces of notebook paper, two mechanical pencils, and her glasses. As cute as Homes is without her spectacles, it doesn't feel like Homura without them, or at least I think so.

She took her seat back on the couch and slid me one piece of paper and a pencil. We each wrote down $1,500 as our starting amount, then the game finally began.

I rolled the die all action-like and watched them crash land on the board. Four! That was my first roll! I swiped my _dog_ off the board and glided it four spaces to the left!

 _Income Tax_. Pay 200.

I subtracted two hundred dollars from my total account. I now had 1800. So much for all that...

It was now Homura's turn. She collected the two die and lazily tossed them on the board. Seven was the result. She took her _thimble_ and began walking it across the board.

 _Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap._

"Oh, I landed on Chance."

"Sweet! That means to get to take a Chance card!"

Homura picked up the first card in the Chance stack and read it. "'Your building {and} loan matures – Collect $150.'" Homes put the card on the bottom of its respected stack and added $150 to her account.

"Dang Homes, you're off to another good start," I observed.

"Beginners luck I guess."

"Heh, probably. Anyways, it's my turn." I picked up both die, shook them around in my hands, then let them fly onto the board. Three. "Nice, I got a Chance card too!"

I picked up the current too card of the Chance stack and read it aloud. "'Go back 3 spaces.'"

 _Income Tax_. Pay $200.

This is gonna be a long, grueling game...

* * *

"Here's a good one: ' _aeolian_ , windblown; caused by wind,'" Homura read, looking through the A section of the dictionary.

"So the next time I watch an anime with a dramatically timed breeze, I get to say that long-haired chick's hair is aeolian?" I asked, brushing Homura's hair from behind.

"Correct. Here's another one: ' _accismus_ , a form of irony in which a person pretends to refuse something that he or she desires.'"

"So it's basically the English word for tsundere."

"More or less, I suppose."

Now I know what you're all thinking: how'd we get from a game of Monopoly to hair fixing and dictionary reading? Basically we stopped our game after almost two hours. In an attempt to pass the time, I volunteered to fix and eventually braid Homura's hair, though she wanted something to do while I went to work. And now you have what you see, which is two teenage girls entertaining themselves with random words from a big book.

"Hmm, ' _Apollonian_ , serene, calm, or well-balanced; poised and disciplined.' Isn't that what you said earlier today?"

"Mhm," I answered while tying Homes' hair around itself, "that's what I told Sayaka when she texted me."

"But I thought you didn't know any synonyms for calm."

"I didn't until it was written in the narration." *wink*

"Uh huh." Homura went back to scouring Sayaka's dictionary. I brought it with me with the plan of giving it to her on my way home tomorrow. Didn't think we'd actually end up using it.

"Anymore cool words?" I asked, genuinely interested.

Homes pointed at a the tiny print. "' _Banal_ , lacking originality.'"

"Didn't know we were in the B's yet." I said, marveling in the cute pattern I had created with Homura's now braided hair.

"There weren't anymore good A words. Oh, here's one for your father."

"Ooo, what is it?" I asked, leaning over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the pages.

"' _Boff_ , a big, hearty laugh.'"

"Ha! That's definitely Pops alright! By the way, your hair is all done."

"Ok. Now it's my turn." Homura gave me the dictionary as we both traded positions. I set it down so that I could remove my ribbon. When I did, all my messy red protein strings flopped out onto my back.

Homes took the brush I had used to straighten her hair and began running it through mine. It felt pretty nice. I could probably take a nap like this. But instead, I continued our search for cool words we'd never heard before.

"You know," Homura said, "this is the first time I've seen you without your ribbon."

"Huh, you're right." Hardly do I ever not wear my ribbons. Ever since I was younger and asked Mama to buy them, I've gone to school, church, restaurants, and pretty much everything else with one of them on my head. And what an impression they've made.

"How's my hair look without it?"

"Looks pretty."

"Pretty what?"

"It looks pretty pretty."

"Oh." Sometimes my lack of sense astounds even me, which is why I lowered my head down to the dictionary. "Oh look, ' _Bovarism_ , an exaggerated, especially glamorized, estimate of oneself.'"

"That's a good one," Homes said, brushing my hair.

"Give me a Bovarist description of yourself, Homes."

"Hmm, I'm smart."

"... That it?"

"What else is there?"

"Why not, I'm Homes Akemi, and I'm a brainy model!"

"But I'm not a model," Homura replied, now braiding my hair.

"Yeah, but it's an exaggerated description."

"Yes, _exaggerated_. Not _false_."

"Aw, never mind then."

"Why don't you give me a Bovarized description of yourself."

"Easy! I'm a sexy, redheaded tiger!"

"Tiger?"

"Mhm!"

"Ok then."

"Speaking of red hair, 'c _erise_ ,cherry; a burgundy-like red.'"

"Convenient."

"Isn't it?"

"Hair's finished."

"Oh cool." I love all this useless banter. Really helps pass the time. Speaking of time, it is currently 8:34 according to my phone, which means we still have a few hours left before sleep.

But what can we do for another three hours?

 _I got it!_ "Hey Homes, does Sayaka or Madoka have your number?"

"Sayaka does, but not Madoka. Why?"

"Cause we're gonna have some fun. Let me borrow your phone for a minute." Homura was unsurprisingly skeptical about whatever devious plan I had, but ended up granting me access to her phone anyway.

I punched Madoka's number into the phone and awaited an answer. As the phone rang, I placed my index finger in front of my smirking mouth to make sure Homes wouldn't interrupt the call.

Finally the other end picked up.

 _Hello! Who might this be?_ Madoka asked _._

This is where my magnificent acting skills comes into play. "Hello," I said with a freakishly sharp accent, "is this Peggie?" Homes leaned her ear next to the phone.

N-no this isn't Peggie. I'm afraid you have the wrong number.

"Nah, nah, zis is ze correct number. Can you tell Peggie that she left her tampons at Carlitos." Homes was actually starting to chuckle a little.

 _B-but sir, I don't even know anyone by the name of Peggie._ Easily the best thing about this prank call is Madoka's complete innocence.

"Nah, nah, Peggie know all. Peggie know all."

 _B-but I don't know Peggie._

 _Madoka, who're you talking to?_ Sayaka! Hearing her voice in the background made both me and Homes crack up.

 _I'm talking to Carlitos, Sayaka._

"Pfft!" I couldn't hold it in anymore. Homura took the phone from me while I erupted into a spree of laughter.

 _Oh no, I think Carlitos is choking! He just made a spitting noise!_ Homura was on the verge of breaking down.

 _Give me the phone, Madoka_. *ruffle ruffle* _Hello, who is this?_

"Hello, zis is Carlitos. Is zis Peggie?" Homes was spot on with her accent. I'm actually quite proud.

 _Sorry, no Peggie here. Goodbye_. *click*

"Dang it Saya, you ruined it!" I yelled, disappointedly.

"Not yet Kyo, I have an idea." Homes pressed the redial button and listened to the ringing noi— d-did she just call me K-Kyo? She just called me Kyo. Only Sayaka calls me that. I-I don't know what to think. Why is this such a big deal to me?

I want her to call me that again.

*click* _Hello, who is thi_ —

"Why did you hang up on Carlitos?" I barely caught myself from releasing a huge guffaw

 _I'm sorry_ —

"Do you know how rude it is to hang up on people? It is like slamming ze door on some—" *click* "she hung up again."

"Here Homes, pass me the phone." I pressed redial immediately and listened to the ringing noise for the third time.

*click* _What do you want!?_

"Why do you keep hanging up on Carlitos?" I said, pretending to cry. "Carlitos only wanted to talk to Peggie!"

 _W-w-wait, don't cry! I'll see what I can do for you!_ Me and Homes were ear and ear next to the phone, wanting to hear what Sayaka would do. Hopefully she wouldn't block us. That would suck.

But then, in the worst fake accent I've ever hear, Sayaka tried to appease us (Carlitos).

 _H-hello Carlitos, zis is Peggie._

Neither me or Homura could resist laughing then. The minute we heard Saya pretending to be Peggie, we both let out a couple of big, hearty laughs. A boff, if you will. *wink*

Sayaka, on the other hand, became furious when her logic kicked in and matched the calling number to the one in her phone.

 _Kyoko! Homura! You had Madoka worried sick about your imaginary friend!_

Whereas Saya was angry, hearing a sentence like that only added to me and Homura's boffs. The laughter was so strong, in fact, that I didn't even notice one very important event taking place in front of me.

Homura is laughing her arse on.

First she calls me Kyo, then she laughs like a schoolgirl. I've never seen her like this before. Upbeat, excited, it all seems fake some way or another, yet it's the genuine deal. Homura is actually laughing, smiling, prank calling her friends.

 _Precious_ , that's the only way I can describe it.

When her eyes shifted upwards to meet mine in between laughs, I started cracking up again. Not sure why. Just made me feel giggly again.

You know who's not giggly though: Sayaka. She's going ballistic over the phone right now. I'd expect her to just hang up and kick me in the face later but that idea hasn't seemed to occur to her.

All in all, this prank call was a great success.

* * *

 _Tap tap tap tap tap tap_

"Yes! Free parking! That means I get back all the taxes I've spent this game!" I added a grand total of $800 to my account. Only $100 had been from Homura's misfortunes.

"Darn," Homues murmured, now rolling the die. The two dice hit the table, then came up to equal nine. _Tap tap tapidy tap_. "Oh, I can buy Pennsylvania Railroad."

"Man, you have all the luck." I sighed. Homura has all four railroads, all three red places, and the utility spaces, and I've got... the entire first row. I sure am on a roll this game.

But now it's my turn again, and I can roll a... eleven! Awesome. _Tap tap tap tapidy-doodle-doo_. "Pacific Avenue, eh. I'll take it!" I subtracted $300 from my account and was left with $980. Not a lot, but I'm about to pass GO so I should be good.

Homes' roll. She got a seven. That means another Chance card. She lifted up the top card and read it aloud.

"'Go straight to jail. Damn." I did the honors of moving her piece to the jail space.

"Hee hee, I think I'm started to make a comeback Homes."

"Not in your life, Kyo."

 _Bliss!_

* * *

"And then, when the girls opened the bathroom stall, they found MAMI'S SEVERED ARM HANGING FROM THE WALL!..."

"Was that supposed to be scary?" Homura asked.

"Yes, and it was scary, thank you very much!" I claimed, turning off the flashlight I used for creepy effect.

"That was tame. I expected more from you, Kyoko."

"Oh, like you can do better."

"I can."

"Then go for it! You can't scare me!" I gave Homes the flashlight, but she just shrugged and tossed it to the side. "Hey, you'll need that flashlight."

"No I won't." Homura readjusted her glasses, cleared her throat, then sat straight up in her chair. "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetl—"

I pressed my hand over her mouth. "Are in crazy!? Saying you-know-what three times is taboo!"

I could feel Homura's lips curl into a smile under my palm. "Uhvwn."

"Come again," I said, removing my hand from her lips.

"I win. You got scared."

"That was cheap and you know it!"

"Teehee."

* * *

Tap tap tap

"Ha! You landed on Connecticut Avenue! Pay up sucker!"

"Aye."

"'Aye?'"

"Mhm, like a pirate."

I started shaking the die. "Yeah, I got that. Just didn't expect you to use it."

"Why? Oh, I got four."

 _Tap tap tap tap_

"I don't know. You just seem... different tonight."

"Is that bad? Also I'm buying that."

"No it's not bad. Just... different, ya know. What I mean is that you seem more lively than usual."

"I guess." Homes picked up the die and let the roll. "Hey a twelve!"

 _Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap_

She landed on a red space she already owned. "It's probably cause I'm alone most of the time."

"How do you mean?"

"Well I see you, Sayaka and Madoka at school, and besides our jogs I'm in here by myself."

I gulped. "Do you prefer being alone?"

"N-no, not particularly." Homura blushed. "I really appreciate your company. It can get lonely in here sometimes."

"Aw! Homu-chan! That's so sweet!" I teased. I feel like if I don't tease her a little bit I'll start fangirling on accident.

"S-shut up." She's smiling. It's faint, but I can see it on the corner of her lips. "Anyways, we should probably go set up the futon. It's getting late."

"Oh, ok." We left our game of Monopoly to be finished another time.

* * *

I stepped out of Homura's bathroom with brushed, shiny teeth. Homes was setting the futon on the floor next to her bed, so I naturally hunched over to assist her. When it was set, she took one pillow from her bed and plopped it down on the futon's head.

"All set for bed, Madam Akemi!" I saluted.

"No you're not. You're still in your skirt."

"O-oh yeah. Forgot about that." I'm blushing, but I can't help it. Homes walked over to a drawer and removed a white tee and a pair of pink shorts for me.

"Here, go change real quick." Why isn't Homura as embarrassed as I am about this wardrobe situation? Shouldn't she be feeling as awkward as me right now? Or is this normal and I'm the only one who feels weird about it? Probably the latter.

Either way, I took the offered clothes and retreated to the bathroom, nervous as heck. Once inside I stared at them for about a minute before I nerves myself out of my own shirt. Then I had to force my skirt off of my legs, which furthered my embarrassment. I don't know, being naked in another person's house just feels... strange.

But here I am, in my underwear (fanservice!), looking at clothes that don't belong to me. Here I go... with the shorts... just gotta step into them... ok, I got them on, now for the shirt... just gotta lift it over me... where's the— oh, there's the head hole... and d-done! I'm in Homura's white tee and pink shorts!...

Oh god this feels weird. I almost feel naked. Naked with— oh dang, I look cute in these! I took a long look at Homura's bathroom mirror, and I liked what I saw. A hot, redheaded teenager in her friends clothes! Not bad, I must say. Not bad... now if only I could look my reflection in the eye. I seem to be failing miserably at doing that.

Maybe it's because my boobs look small in this tee. I mean, they never were big before but... now it looks like they're nonexistent while Homura's are clearly... there; apparent; visible; impressionable. Ugh, maybe I'm not rockin' Homes' clothes as much as I thought I was.

... ... I've... been standing here for awhile now. I should probably, you know, exit the bathroom. But first, *flush* don't want her thinking it took me five minutes to change. Alright, now I'm good.

When I left the bathroom I found Homes writing in a book on her bed. "Hey Homes, whatcha writin'?"

"Diary entry."

"Ooo, juicy," I said, eagerly hopping onto her bed, "can I see?"

"Sorry," she said, closing her diary, "but this is for my eyes only."

"Aw, but I wanna know what you've written about lil ol' me."

"Too bad." Homes set the diary on the night stand next to her bed, then looked me straight in the eye. "Promise me you won't read it!"

 _Whoa, feisty Homura._ "I-I promise."

"Good. Ready for bed?"

"Sure." It is currently 10:28 in Mitakihara. That's French for "it's late," so a bit of sleep sounds pretty freakin' good right now.

I hopped down onto the neatly made futon. Comfy, I must say. At least it's more comfy than when I had to share a futon with Madoka. Not that I minded the pinkette, but I like to stretch out in my slumber.

I picked up my pillow to fluff it when an idea came to me. Turning around, I saw Homes setting her glasses on top of her diary. _Hee hee hee!_ "Hey Homura~"

"Hm—" My pillow crashed into Homes' face. Now silence... no reaction from Homura whatsoever. Nothing but quietness as her face hid behind my pillow...

 _Perhaps I threw it too hard._ "H-Homes... you ok—" My pillow crashed into my face. Wasn't expecting that.

I edged the pillow off of my face to reveal Homura smiling. A chortle slowly made its way out of both of us, leaving me to feel relieved as all hell. Seriously, I thought I had screwed up big time there.

"Got you!" Homes giggled adorably.

"Oh yeah!" I chuckled, jumping up with my pillow in hand.

"Yeah!" Homes grabbed her pillow. What ensued during the next few minutes of my life was a pillow fight. A regular, cliched pillow fight. And it was great.

The first strike came from me. I lunged forward and swung with full frontal force, only to be countered by Homura's swift reaction time. Using her pillow as a shield, Homes deflected my attack and sent me flying into the wall. I just barely had enough time to catch myself before Homes sprang towards me.

Luckily though, I was able to dodge her strike before it could destroy the wall behind me. I landed on the other side of the room, but I was left zero time to breath since Homes immediately came again with another fierce slash. Without the luxury of dodging, I was forced to take her attack head on.

Our pillows clashed – in midair. I forgot to mention that a space vacuum had appeared due the sheer magnitude of our power.

Let me remind you all that this is a non-magic au.

With our swords (pillows) trembling against each other, I knew that there was only one sure fire way to achieve victory for my planet. I placed one hand on the end of my pillow and pulled the case off.

"Bankai!"

Suddenly, my weapon morphed into a spear enchanted with my magic (non-magic au everybody!). I used its extra energy to gain the upper hand, forcing my way through Homura's defenses.

"Impossible!" She exclaimed in a spiky manga panel.

"Nothing is impossible when you have FRIENDSHIP!" Approximately 1,429 flashbacks made their way through my mind's eye. I saw Momo, Sayaka, and Madoka. I saw Papa and Mama, and I saw my best friend turned nemesis — Homura.

Mustering every ounce of strength in my body, I turned into a Super Saiyan, metaphorically speaking that is. I pushed forward, causing me and Homura to fall from the sky we had been fighting in. I had it – victory was within my grasp, until...

Homura reached out with one hand and clutched onto my shirt. Now I was tumbling downwards with her. Suddenly the tides were turned, and I was going to hit the ground first. Crap! Have. To. Swap. Quick!

But it was too late. My back plunged onto Homura's bed with her... on top of me. Without warning, the fun of our pillow fight dissolved into an awkward scene of mutual discomfort. I was kinda grateful though. If I were the one on top in this situation... I don't know if I could restrain myself.

Homura lifted herself with her arms. Her eyes met mine. Both our faces turned cerise. As terrified as I am, I honestly enjoy this in a sick sense, that is until she carefully removed herself from her awkward position. She sat herself to the right of me while I slowly sat up.

Silence for the second time. What do I say? What do I do? I'm not even sure if there is anything that can negate this awkward atmosphere. Either way, I've got to try something. I gripped the bed covers and braced myself.

"I-I'm sorry about that."

Homura looked up at me with scared eyes, but dropped them back down to her legs. "Don't be. I'm the one who grabbed you."

"Y-yeah, but I'm the one who started it."

"Doesn't matter. If I hadn't pulled on your shirt—"

"Let's just forget about it." I didn't mean to cut Homura off. Just sorta did it on accident.

Silence yet again.

Can't do much of anything now. All I _can_ do now is hope that this all blows over. If not then I'm stuck in this room for the rest of the night, and that's the last thing I want. But should I say something? No matter what I say, things'll still be awkward, but maybe I can at least lighten the mood. But how?

"Kyoko."

"Yeah?"

"Do you feel weird around me?"

Heh, deja vu. "Not at all. Why?"

Homura shifted in place. "Because I'm, you know... bisexual."

Hmm, I didn't think Homes worried about those kinds of things. I figured that the only things on her mind were school and her health. So how do I reassure her in this situation? Pat her on the shoulder? No, that makes this seem sad instead of awkward. How about... how about I... Without considering the consequences, I spoke the first thing that came to my mind:

"It's ok, Homes. I'm kinda the same anyways."

Homura's eyes shot up like a rocket. My heart rate blazed over 9000. Homura blushed. I avoided eye contact by staring at that, uh, desk lamp! What an interesting spectacle that electrical source of light is! And its bulb! It's so bright, or, you know, it would be if it were... turned on...

Saya, if you can hear me via telepathy... HELP! This atmosphere is making me hotter than that inherently interesting light bulb!

Oh who am I kidding, that lamp is as ugly as Limp Dick. I mean seriously, who would ever create a red lamp with blue clouds on it!? It's appalling to the senses! And why would anyone ever buy such an ugly lamp? And where!? Huh... "Hey Homes. Where'd you get that lamp?"

A moment of dumb silence. "What?"

"That lamp with the blue cloud thingys. Where'd you get it?"

"Oh, I, uh, bought it at a thrift store."

"I see... a thrift store..."

...

...

"Kyoko?"

"Yes?"

"You said you were the same as me."

"O-oh yeah. That happened didn't it."

"Was that the truth?"

"Um... yes. It's the t-truth." I don't regret saying it, but I feel uncomfortable talking about these things, especially with my crush. Even so, it felt kinda nice to finally say it out loud. Homura on the other hand appeared to be confused, or perhaps curious about this sudden discovery. Her stare penetrated my cool demeanor, prompting me to resume my staring contest with her lamp.

Seconds later, after Homura had thought hard enough about the situation, she said something that caught me off guard.

"I don't believe you."

"... Wut?" I asked stupidly.

"I said I don't believe you."

 _You're right, I'm a lesbian_ was my first thought, but I kept that to myself. But seriously... WHAT!? For what reason does she not believe I enjoy female on female romance!? "Why not?" I asked more composed than I felt.

"Because you're a Christian."

"... That all?"

"Mhm."

"Hmm, that's actually a pretty good reason, but..."

Homura eyed me from the side. "But?"

"But... I am." How do you tell someone that you like them? I told Momo to just state it outright, but doing so would probably ruin our night, not to mention our relationship permanently.

Or would it?

We're both attracted to women, and we're both pretty freakin' cute, if I do say so myself, so why shouldn't I just spill the beans right now? Homura just has to be a tad bit into me, right? Why wouldn't she be? After all, we've been really close since she transferred, and I'm even in her bedroom as we currently speak. She must have some romantic feelings for me!... right? Right?

Maybe so, but just to make sure... "Do you have anyone you like, Homes?" I still wasn't looking at her. Instead I fixed my sight on my fingers which were folding around each other.

Homura twirled a finger through her hair. "Maybe."

"WHA! REALLY!?" I didn't waste a second grabbing both of her hands. "Tell me! Who is it? Girl or boy? I bet it's a girl!"

"Um," Homura was blushing intensly, "it's a secret. Sorry."

"Aw, come on! You can trust me!"

"Sorry, but I'd rather not say just yet."

I could tell that Homura was starting to become uncomfortable, so I sighed and let go of her hands. "Ok. I understand." Then she asked me the same question, which I admittedly wasn't really prepared to answer, so I decided to tell the truth, just, you know, not all of it. "I do."

"Who?"

 _You_. Rather than say that out loud, I pressed an index finger to my lips and said "It's my little secret" all cute-like. Then for the first time since I'd met her, Homura showed an interest in my juicy secrets, and tried her best to get the info out of me by promising she'd never tell a soul, wouldn't judge, and all that junk.

As much as it hurt me to do so, I had to resist shouting _it's you you beautiful minx_. I know Homes felt a little sad that I wasn't willing to tell her my own penetralia, but had the conversation been about anything else, I'd gladly pour my heart out to her.

Honestly, I was kinda afraid of bargaining with her. The idea of telling her if she tells me her crush popped into my mind almost immediately, but the fear of her not saying my name was enough to make me shut up.

Though things could've been worse. I could've lied about my crush just so Homura would be satisfied, but I've watched enough TV to know how badly that would end, and she could've told me that she liked Madoka or something and broken my heart, but what're the odds of Homes liking Madoka. That would be preposterous.

"Well," Homura said, "can you give me a hint?"

"A hint?"

"Yeah, like the color of his eyes or his hair."

"Hmm. Well, _she_ is very beautiful, and _she's_ also super kind." She's also sitting right beside me, and she smells really nice, though saying those two things may not translate well with Homura's seemingly asexual lifestyle.

Thankfully this "hint" turned out to be enough. Homura placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me a soft smile, one that made my face turn cerise, yet still managed to set me at ease. "Ok," she said, "thanks for telling me."

"O-of course," I replied, letting a genuine smile spread across my face, "I trust that my secret is safe with you." Homes pretended to zip up her lips, and in an act of pure wit on my part, I said "Thanks" before leaning into a quick hug. I pulled away fast so she wouldn't become suspicious of my true feelings, but it regardlessly made me feel warm – you know, the fuzzy kind of warm, not the sweaty kind.

Upon letting go of my gorgeous friend, I hopped off her bed and let out a little yawn. "Welp, I'm pooped. How about you?"

"Me too," Homura nodded, "will you turn the light off, please?"

"Yeah, sure." I said, plugging my phone up to the charger beside my futon. With a swift walk and a flick of my finger, the lights in Homura's bedroom went out. 'Twas a dark night at Madam Homes' manor, and as I settled my frail person atop the wrinkled surface of my futon, I clasp my hands together and silently chanted a prayer for myself.

 _Dear God, please, please, please, please, please make Homura Akemi mine! I may be a sinner for liking her, but should she fall for me, my devotion to you will be everlasting and eternal, whether you send me to hell or now. Yours truly, Kyoko._

I lied down under my futon's covers and hid my expression from the girl near me. After settling down, an uneasy weight washed over my chest area. I can only describe it as some strange mixture of melancholy and, well, to put it frankly, horniness. It's exactly what I felt earlier when I was in the shower, and it doesn't sit very well with me. Man, ever since that day I tried to steal an indirect kiss from Homura, I've been feeling all kinds of somber... oh wait...

That was this morning.

Holy crap this has been a long day! Three chapters worth to be exact, and I'm not really sure if this day has been good or bad. On one end, I'm currently lying near my crush after having enjoyed a fun day of activity with her. On the other end my emotions have been constantly flip-flopping, my sister expressed her fear of my eternal damnation, and I just discovered that Homura may not like me but someone else.

And what a way to have learned that.

Homura was _on top of me_. Our bodies were pressed against each other's, and it felt... it felt amazing. Had I not been paralyzed with fear beneath her, I probably would've wrapped my arms around her slender figure and slowly, _slowly_ lean into a gentle kiss. A kiss that would've surprised her, but would've also made her close her eyes and relax in my embrace.

I imagined me flipping her onto her bed so that I could've been the one on top, looking down into her longing eyes. Then I'd brush a stray strand of hair out of her face, cup her cheek, and lean in for another kiss, except this one wouldn't last as long as our first one. No, this one would end fast and another one would quickly ensue until we were making out passionately with each other.

I wonder how her tongue would feel against mine. Soft, wet, _desirable_. We'd French kiss so much that when we separated a string of saliva would trail from her tongue to mine. Homura would be left panting helplessly under me, muttering my name desperately for more.

How would her moans sound? Would they be high pitched, or would it be small and muffled. Probably the latter since she's so prideful. But I'd force them out of her mouth. I'd rub my hands up and down her legs, then around her hips and ultimately up her lean stomach and underneath her bra.

It was then that a familiar sensation appeared in between my legs. The urge to touch myself in an inappropriate but pleasurable way. Despite feeling drowsy a few minutes prior to my fantasy, I was now wide awake. The area in between my legs felt hotter than before, moist even. I really want to relieve this burning sensation, but I just can't, especially here at Homura's apartment.

I gripped my covers tightly. I want to go home. I don't feel good.

I laid like that for the next twenty minutes or so – eyes open, forbidden spot burning, and stomach unsettled. Right now I'm crap. Smelly, decomposing crap. Blegh. Double blegh. Even though my eyelids feel heavy, I just can't seem to fall asleep now. What's with that?

I rolled over for what felt like the fiftieth time that night. No position I settled in felt comfortable for very long. On the bright side, I don't think I'm horny anymore... I think I worded that right. Ugh, either way, I can't sleep!

And I didn't sleep!

By the time sunlight was beaming through the window, I could practically feel the bags under my eyes drooping. Instead of attempting sleep, I decided to go take a morning bathroom trip. I grabbed my phone so I could check for manga updates on the toilet and stood up for the first time in about seven hours.

*Pop!*

That was every bone in my body. Don't get me wrong, the futon was comfy, but I just have trouble sleeping at other people's houses, like that time I was at Saya's, though we had to share a bed so you can imagine how comfortable it is to wrestle over covers all nigh—

My eyes landed on Homura asleep in her bed. Eyes closed, mouth slightly open, and messy hair all over the place. The covers repeatedly rose up and down due to her peaceful breathing.

There is no word in Sayaka's dictionary that can describe what I'm feeling right now. It's what I assume married couples feel whenever they wake up next to their lover. Mesmerizing. Enchanted. Scared. Horn— NONONO! Restrain your perverted thoughts Kyoko! I could hear Sayaka's voice echoing in my head, 'Kyoko, there's a time and place for everything.'

Huh? It seems that I was so preoccupied with Sleeping Beauty here that I didn't realize my phone's camera was aimed at her. How peculiar. If were to just place my finger on the little red button...

*SNAP!*

! I forgot the sound was on! Oh no! Oh no oh no oh no! Not good!

I froze, completely mortified. How could I forget about the sound!? What if Homura wakes up because of it!? What if she saw me standing here with my phone pointed at her!? WHY AM I NOT RETREATING TO THE BATHROOM!?

Homura remained unconscious. She remained unconscious for another couple of minutes. She stayed unconscious after those minutes ended. I stayed exactly where I was out of sheer paralyzing terror. Then I remained where I was just so I could continue staring at her... don't judge me. I know kung-fu. But man, just look at her – completely motionless, at peace, calm.

Jesus it sounds like I'm watching the deceased.

Suddenly remembered why I stood up, and it all came rushing back to me in a single thought. I have to pee. But before I do, I should leave my phone on my futon, that way I don't become tempted to, you know... on the toilet... inspect that picture... alone... in Homura's apartment... yeah...

*Flush!*

Ah~! That was relieving! There's nothing like letting your inner liquids flow out of your body on a soft porcelain surface!... I'm talking about pee, not... you know... Hey, I wonder if Homes is awake!

When I opened the bathroom door, Homura was sitting up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Morning— *yawn,*" she said.

"Mornin' Homu-chan~!" _What an adorable yawn_.

"Please don't call me 'Homu-chan,'" she sighed, stepping out from under her covers,

"Want some breakfa—"

"YES." I haven't eaten in about seven hours. I want food.

"Ok then. Cereal fine?"

"Of course!" I cheered. The thought of anything edible was making my mouth water.

"Aye, just follow me."

"Aye?"

"You know, like a pirate."

"Oh yeah."

* * *

It's 10:43, and I'm dressed snazzily in front of my church. My ribbon is in my hair, my hair is brushed and awesome, and my eyelids are about to collapse on me. But I'm here early nonetheless, and that's what matters!

As you may have guessed, the rest of my time at Homes' apartment was pretty uneventful. We are cereal, packed up all my stuff (except our unfinished game of Monopoly), and got me prepared for morning worship. The only noteworthy thing was when we brushed each other's hair again. We even learned a few new... words...

I forgot to return Saya's dictionary again... Oops. I'm sure she won't mind it being a little bit overdue.

"Nee-chan?"

I turned to see Momo standing in the church doorway. "Mornin' sis!"

Momo bounded closer to me in an adorable way that only kids could pull off. "Hey! Why do you look so tired?"

"Because I didn't get a wink of sleep last night. Why, are my bags that noticeable?"

"No, it's just that you're wobbling and your eyes are halfway closed like a drunk person's."

"O-oh." That moment you don't realize how tired you are in public.

"You weren't drinking were you?"

A concerned look appeared on Momo's face, causing me to panic. "No! No! No! The only thing I drank there was tea! You don't have to worry about that."

"Was the tea spiced—"

"The tea was perfectly normal!" For someone so young, Momo sure has some strange thoughts running through that red head of hers.

"Ok, good," she sighed, "Papa would kill you if you were."

 _Yeah, that's why he'll kill me_ , I thought to myself. "Anyways, ready to go inside?" I asked.

"Mhm!" Momo took my hand and we skipped merrily into the church, and when I say merrily, I mean I was limping like a zombie and she was bouncing like Shirley Temple. Man, I'm way too sleepy for this.

When we reached the front pews, Mama wasted no time asking me about my second sleepover. "Did you two have fun?" "Did you remember to brush your teeth?" "Did you sleep well?" "Are you drunk?" I of course was quick to answer all of her eager questions, and deny her final one.

10:51. Nine minutes until Papa starts his sermon. Guess I'll just... rest my eyes before that happens...

"Hey Nee-chan, do you that Dad'll... Nee-chan?" I looked over to the side to see my big sister sleeping. She looked kinda silly the way she dozed off, so I rested her head on my shoulders. "Sweet dreams Nee-chan."

* * *

 **Alright, it's done! I thought I'd never end this chapter, but here it is! Whew, hope everyone enjoyed this one, because chapter 8.5 will be released along with this one. That one will not be long whatsoever, but I thought it'd be nice to throw in someone else's POV. You know, for the lols.**

 **Anyways, thank ye all for reading. Apologies for any and all spelling/grammar errors that may have bothered you, and I'll see you all again soon, hopefully.**


	9. Extra

**The following side story was filmed in front of a live studio audience and takes place during the events of chapter eight! KyoHomu!**

Chapter 8.5: Homura's Journal

 _8-11-16_

 _Today Kyoko is spending the night. I'm kinda nervous actually. This is the first time anyone has ever stayed overnight at my apartment, so I'm not really sure what to do. I'm willing to bet that Kyoko will have loads of things to do. I'll probably end up following her lead. Not that I mind since she usually finds something entertaining to do._

 _Though lately Kyoko has seemed a little strange. She told me that she had hormonal teenage problems, so I guess that means it's personal and adolescent. Or perhaps she was on her period. It's a possibility._

 _I wonder how she feels about this sleepover. She appeared to be really excited when she suggested it, which must mean she has everything planned out, which in turn must mean she has a lot planned out. I just hope I'll be able to keep up._

 _That reminds me, during today's jog I made it approximately 1.4 meters farther than I did yesterday! That means if I continue at this pace everyday for the next three weeks, I'll probably make it all the way around the park without passing out! I can't wait to see Kyoko's face when I finally make it the whole mile. I bet she'll be as happy as I'll be, and maybe we could even celebrate with the others. We could all go to Vagabond's for food._

 _Wow, I sound a little bit like Kyoko now. I mean, she'd probably take me to Vagabond's whether I really want to or not. Not that I mind since it always turns out well._

Hmm. I said ' _Not that I mind since_ ' twice. That doesn't look nice. But how else can I word it?...

 _It should be fine though since things always turn out well._

Hmm, ' _well_ ' doesn't sound very good in this sentence. Would 'entertaining' be better? No, no, I used that word in the entry's first paragraph. How about ' _fun_?' Mmm, yeah, that sounds fine.

 _It should be fine though since things always turn out to be fun._

Much better.

*knock knock knock*

Oh, that must be her. I closed my journal and stepped off my bed. As I walked towards the door, my heart began to beat faster. Guess there's no stopping now...

* * *

 _8-11-16_

 _Today me and Kyoko did a bunch of useless things. We played a card game that she lost miserably, we played a board game that hasn't ended yet, and we pranked called Sayaka and Madoka. Lots of firsts for me today actually._

 _Despite everything being pretty random and meaningless, it was a lot of fun. Seeing Kyoko get so flustered over a card game was cute, and we laughed our asses off when Sayaka pretended to be a fictional woman named Peggie. Trust me when I say it makes sense in context._

 _Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever laughed so hard before. There was that one funny comic strip I read in the newspaper a few years ago, but I don't think it was nearly as funny as mine and Kyoko's prank calling antics._

 _Speaking of Kyoko, I got the chance to brush her hair today as well. There's so much of it that I couldn't finish brushing it. The comb became infested with red hair. Thankfully it was hers that she brought from home, but it makes me wonder if she has to constantly clean it every morning._

 _Oh yeah, that reminds me. I scared the living shit out of Kyoko earlier when we were telling each other ghost stories. I kinda cheated by saying Beetlejuice three times, but the result was still hysterical. She jumped out of her seat just to cover my mouth. It was great! I didn't even know Kyoko was scared of anything, but I guess even she is afraid of some things._

 _All in all, my first sleepover was an enjoyable one. Can't wait for another one. Maybe next time I can't stay at Kyoko's house._

"Hey Homes, whatcha writin'?"

 _Eeeek!_ "Diary entry."

"Ooo, juicy! Can I see?" She asked, plopping down onto my bed.

"Sorry," I said, closing my diary, "but this is for my eyes only."


End file.
